Exit Strategy
by WanderingGerbil
Summary: Crashing her car in Hartford left Brenna in a strange world. How will she return to the family she's left behind? Will she accept her fate and make a new life for herself in this devastated version of the world she knew? I must warn you, dear readers, that there is SI involved with this one. Sending my OC into an alternate (to her at least) reality: the world of Fallout 4.
1. Shock and Awe

Just another Tuesday morning. I dropped my sons off at school while my husband got our daughter on the bus. I headed out to my relatively new job in Hartford. The paid marketing internship scored by a contact through my faculty advisor was a miracle for me. Well, for the whole family really. Working for an up and coming video game developer was more than I dared dream for. This degree was already proving fruitful, despite having a few more classes to go before graduation. Before I knew it, I'd be giving my family the life I'd hoped for since starting college in my thirties. I had to admit that it was sometimes overwhelming to be a student, provider, and chronic illness patient on top of being a wife and mother of three. But as I always said, I go on because I have no other choice.

The traffic on I-84 East was brutal that day. One imagines the morning rush as bumper to bumper cars moving at a snail's pace. Not today. Swarms of vehicles traveling at speeds better suited to the Autobahn flowed around me like a river around a large rock. I sighed to myself. This was not a good portent of what the gorgeous New England autumn day might have in store. I sipped my coffee and slowed the car down because fuck that noise. Breakneck speed in order to keep up with the rest of the herd was not worth risking my life. I rolled down the car window just enough to savor the crisp air, but not enough to chill my joints underneath my thick black hoodie. Another benefit of this job was the casual attire we were allowed to wear.

As I set my travel mug back down, the aura started. No. No no no no no. Not here, and not now. While I had previously felt panic at the warning signs of one of my epileptic seizures beginning, this was different. I'd never been behind the wheel before when one hit. I slammed on my hazard lights, and tried desperately to maneuver the damn car over to the shoulder. No one would move out of my way! I lost control of my hands and felt the jarring thud of impact. The last thought I clearly remember having was how odd it was to hear the tinkle of breaking glass so clearly. Everything grayed out in my vision, then the blackness took me.

* * *

Two figures crossed the alley between buildings in the foggy night. Between them was a sagging third form, carried as a heavy weight often is. A body perhaps? The surreptitious behavior did not seem out of place in the eerily muffled quiet and dim glow of neon lights through the fog.

"Hey, be careful with her! I don't think she's simply unconscious." the first person said, keeping his voice as low as possible.

"I'm trying, Nicky. She just slipped out of my grip a bit." whispered the second.

"Let's just get her into my office. I want to take a closer look while I can. Everything about her feels wrong."

* * *

 _'_ _One look and I yelled "timber"_

 _Watch out for flying glass_

 _'Cause the ceiling fell in_

 _And the bottom fell out_

 _I went in to a spin_

 _And I started to shout_

 _"I've been hit, this is it, this is it"'_

The music played, quietly and oddly distant. My mind swirled through the thick soup of growing awareness. I carefully opened my eyes even though I was not quite ready to face reality. Those feelings of exhaustion and unease at the missing block of time that always come after my seizures were the first things I noticed. Well, second things really. First was that music I couldn't quite place. I groaned as I attempted to sit up.

"I know that song. Nat King Cole." I said mostly to myself. What in the world had happened to me? Who allows music in a hospital room? Surely I must be in a hospital after the accident.

"Hold on now. Don't sit up too fast. I don't need a strange woman collapsing in my office." came a voice that held a certain familiarity.

"Office? What? No. No, that's not possible. The accident… which hospital am I at? Hartford Hospital? St. Francis? Please tell me it's not St. Francis." I begged.

"I can assure you that you're not at St. Francis hospital. As I said you're in my office. My first question would have been asking if you knew where you were. Clearly, that's a big no." the voice replied.

Where had I heard him before? I could barely make out a shadowy form in the darkened room. Everything was so blurry.

"My glasses. I can't see much of anything without them. Are they here? Or did I break them when I crashed my car?" I asked.

My mind struggled to make sense of it all. I knew my seizures happened in my left frontal lobe. My neurologist had told me that I have complex partial epilepsy, and that it impacted the part of my brain that governed emotions, memory, and personality. Having electrical misfires in the part of my brain that holds the essence of who I am is definitely not a good thing by any stretch of the imagination. What if this time my worst nightmares came true, and my mind was irrevocably damaged? That had to be it. None of what was happening to me made any sort of sense.

I took a deep breath in an attempt to calm my racing heart. Glancing over to my right to where the now silent mystery man stood, I tried to get a clearer image of who I was dealing with. The only thing that I could better determine was that he was a smoker. The odor of his cigarette was unmistakable. I think that's what finally settled it for me. No one smokes in a hospital anymore. If all he said was true, that I was somehow on a bed within his office, then where the hell had I ended up? What exactly had happened to me once I blacked out?

"Hey! Glasses? They here or what?" I demanded testily. Dulled senses put me on edge, and feeling more of that old 'fight or flight' was the last thing I needed right then.

"Yeah, I've got 'em. If you're going to continue being a jackass about it though, I'll just hold onto them." Mystery man's tone took on a decidedly agitated bent. Great. Good going, Brenna. Offend the guy when you're at his mercy.

"I'm sorry. It's just…I can't see. Please?" I needed to at least try to be kinder in my responses to him if I had any hope of getting my way.

"They're on the table next to you." he said with a slight nod of his head to indicate the direction of the table. His voice came a little more gently, and that was definitely a relief.

Squinting, I reached out for my glasses, my lifeline in this strange situation. I held them up towards the light, which turned out to be a shaded lamp on a desk back across the room to the far left of me. The lenses were intact, if disgustingly smudged. While I began polishing them on my shirt, I figured I'd ask him a few questions. Maybe that would help me to understand a bit more of who he was.

"So. Your voice. Have I heard it before?" I asked quietly.

"You were unconscious when one of those dumb sacks of muscles that passes for security around here and I carried you in. I had my doubts as to whether or not you'd wake up. Glad to see I was wrong about you." he said.

Ah. The glasses were finally passably clean. Now to see what the Mystery Man looked like. As I put them on and swiveled my head towards where his voice had been coming from since I awoke, he took a drag of the cigarette he'd been smoking. The increased glow from it illuminated his face. Holy shit. He must've heard my stunned gasp because the frown on his face spoke volumes.

"Look, I know the skin and exposed metal isn't exactly comforting but we've got to get to the bottom of this situation first. There will be time for personal revelations later." he said gruffly.

He stepped out from the shadows beneath the flight of stairs where he'd been standing. The man before me wore a battered trench coat over an equally distressed white button down shirt. His gray tie fit loosely as it was partially undone. On his head was a fedora that had clearly seen better days. That's where any semblance of humanity ended. His eyes. My Goddess, his eyes were glowing yellow. I could practically feel them gliding over my body while mine took him in as well. His right hand was nothing more than an exposed metal endoskeleton. Bits of that same metal could also be seen through the left side of his face, and throughout his neck.

"Who… _what_ are you?" I asked, unable to hide my shock.

"New to the Commonwealth, are you? I'm a synth." he said.

"Wait, what? Synth? The hell is that?" I asked.

"20 questions, eh? Synth. As in synthetic man. All of the parts minus the red blood cells." This guy had mastered sarcasm, that's for sure.

"Well, just where am I if it's not a hospital? Office of what, exactly?" I continued with my barrage of questions. It was all I could think to do while I tried to recover my senses.

"Welcome to the Valentine Detective Agency. Nick Valentine at your service." he said.

"Are you shitting me?! Should've guessed, what with your noir look going on. So your name is Nick? Not some funky numeric designation?" I asked.

He folded his arms and leaned against the wall, simply staring at me with a raised eyebrow as if to ask if I was done being an asshole. This was swiftly going nowhere.

I sighed deeply. "Nick…Mr. Valentine, I'm sorry. You've done nothing but help me as far as I know, and here I am treating you like shit. I'm so confused by all of this. I didn't mean to offend you. I just need answers." I said contritely.

A small smile touched his lips, and he came over to sit beside me on the bed.

"Normally, I'm the one with the questions but I can see that you and I are two birds of a feather on this. A lovely but strangely dressed woman materializes outside the walls of the city, right in front of the guards' eyes. Not just unconscious but dead, with no visible explanation as to how she ended up in such a state. No wonder Diamond City security ran for Nicky the detective." he said.

Now it was my turn to stare at him. "Lovely woman, huh?" I couldn't keep the impish smile off of my face or the amused pleasure out of my voice. I've always had difficulty controlling my playful nature, and often used inappropriate humor to diffuse situations that I found uncomfortable.

Nick shook his head in apparent exasperation and yet he still smiled in return. "So captivated by my handsome mug that you missed the part about dead and out of thin air, I see." he said.

"Guess I was. Um, I mean did. Miss the dead part. But clearly, I'm not dead unless this is some seriously trippy version of the afterlife." I paused for a moment to think before continuing. "Hold on. You had mentioned the Commonwealth. Of Massachusetts? I'm up in Mass? But I was just outside of Hartford, Connecticut when the crash happened."

Nick stood, and offered his hand, the one that clearly gave away what lay under his skin. Although grateful for the assistance, I was still cautious as I laid my hand in his. A slight look of surprise touched his face and was gone in an instant. Blink, and you'd miss it.

"Come outside with me. Maybe seeing more of your surroundings will help jog your memory." he said as he guided me to the red door that led to the strange world beyond.


	2. Old World Sorrow

Despite Nick's reassuring touch, I hesitated before stepping out into the night. I turned to him, the panic I felt at leaving behind the relative safety of his office plainly etched on my face. I don't think I'd ever seen a man's features morph from a look of iron determination to pity quite as rapidly as did his. Shifting my gaze down to my boots, I took a moment to remind myself that no matter why my emotional impression of Nick was shifting from wary dislike to burgeoning trust, he was no man. Not in any conventional sense, at least. I had no idea if he was well received by the residents of this place or not, and that made him an unknown element in my mind. In the middle of collecting my thoughts, I felt his more humanlike hand touch my lower back. He gently steered me through the corridor, and began leading me towards the brightly lit area off to our left.

"Wait, hold on a sec. Mr. Valentine, where's my jacket? Did I have it on when you found me?" I asked. The chill of the night air reminded me of the moments before the seizure. The realization that my hoodie was gone but nothing else I'd been wearing had disappeared was more than a bit disconcerting. Why take only that and nothing more? My wedding and engagement rings were still on my finger, as well as my goddess pendant in its accustomed place on my neck.

"When I found you, you were dead. Taking inventory of your belongings wasn't high on my priority list." he quipped.

"Of course not. The smart ass robotic private eye was more concerned with dragging the dead woman back to his bed." I grumbled.

"Usually when I drag a lady to my bed I know her name first. Care to share?" he asked.

I tried to keep a straight face and couldn't. The short bark of laughter felt better than I'd expected. Almost normal. "You don't know my name? My purse got snatched too then." I said, wrapping my arms around myself and staring down at my feet once again.

He cupped my chin and directed my face up to meet his gaze. "I promise we'll figure this out. You can share whatever you need to about yourself after we revisit the scene of your arrival." he said. Nick's detective training must have included a section on dealing with insane damsel in distress situations to be putting up with me as well as he was.

I took a steadying deep breath, and continued in the direction we'd been walking. He quickly caught up, falling in at my side. We rounded the corner and the blinding light of what appeared to be an open air market fell across our path.

"Nick! Pssst. Nick, hey!" a voice hissed urgently from behind us.

"Piper, what are you doing skulking around at this hour?" Nick asked the voice. A shapely dark haired woman in a red coat and newsboy hat stepped into the light.

"Hear anything about the dead person who reanimated near the front gate? This'll be my best story all month!" she asked with barely concealed glee. She glanced in my direction. "You, uh, collecting strays now, Nicky?" she added.

Before I could say a word, Nick's hand gave mine a sharp warning squeeze. How'd he know that I was about to mouth off? "Stray zombie women at least." he said.

Piper's eyes went wide. "You mean this is the one? No wonder word is spreading fast, even at night. She looks just like a fish out of water." she said.

Ok, this was all too much. Now I was the talk of the town? So much for some quick answers and then getting back to my life. My actual one and not this surreal life unfolding before me.

"The odd zombie chick has a name, and is standing right in front of you." I growled, glaring at the both of them.

Nick chuckled and smiled down at me. "Now you'll tell me, lovely lady?" he teased.

Piper's eyes shifted between him and I. "Something you two wanna share with me?" she asked.

"Nothing like that, Piper. Just let our new friend tell us who she is." he said.

I disentangled myself from Nick's hold on me, and steeled myself for the inevitable onslaught of questions. "My name is Brenna. The last thing I remember before waking up in Nick's bed was crashing my car on the highway near Hartford, Connecticut. He tells me I was dead when he found me. You understand why I find that impossible to believe, yes? I don't know where I am, how I got here or why. I just want to go back home."

I plopped myself down on the ground, and let loose the tears I'd been holding in since first waking up. Holding my head in my hands helped to block out this new world surrounding me.

Piper pulled Nick aside, and whispered something to him. I didn't care that they were likely discussing me. I was grateful to have a moment of private sorrow. Ok, semi-private at least. I missed my husband and our kids. I hoped that whatever had happened to me could be reversed so I could be with them again. Dread crushed my heart. What if I never saw those four precious people again? I needed to pull it together. If I broke down and couldn't function I'd never find a way back home.

Piper squatted down by my side. "Hey, hey there. It's gonna be ok. Nicky is the best around at solving cases. If he can't find out what happened to you, I'll eat my hat." she said with jokingly soothing tones.

I dried my eyes on my shirt and got up from my spot on the ground.

"But once we figure it all out, you owe me an interview, Zombie." she added with a grin.

"Sure, whatever. This can't possibly get any weirder than it already is. Mr. Valentine, we were going to the 'scene of the crime'?" I asked.

Piper laughed heartily. "Oooh Mr. Valentine, is it? Boy, Nick. How'd you attain this level of formality with the newcomer?" she asked.

Nick shot her an irritated look and said "Piper, if you intend on coming with us, try not to egg her on. I suspect that Brenna here is just as bad as you when it comes to acting up at every available opportunity."

I turned to him and asked how he preferred to be addressed. This whole synth thing certainly played with my senses.

"Nick is fine. Now let's head over to the entrance gate." he said, as he resumed herding me towards the market area.

The three of us walked through the market, past empty stalls and a restaurant of sorts. Nick pointed to a set of stairs dead ahead of us. Ha. _Dead_ ahead. I still could not wrap my mind around his assertion that I was found lifeless.

"There's the exit that'll lead to where your body was… dumped outside of Diamond City. With any luck, we'll find some clues." he said.

"And what if we don't? Maybe there are no answers to all of this." I asked him.

"There's gotta be something left behind. Other than you of course. I mean, things don't just _happen_. There's nearly always a reason, even if it's a dumb one." Piper added.

As we passed through the main gate to this Diamond City, I finally realized where we were. "Holy shit. This is Boston? This is Fenway Park! Forget about me, what happened to Massachusetts?" I whispered in shock. I stopped dead in my tracks, taking in the devastation around me. The whole area looked like a war zone. I knew the Big Dig caused some serious upheaval, but c'mon!

My two guardians exchanged a stunned yet knowing look. Uh oh.

"Guys, what happened here? Please don't leave me in the dark." I pleaded. I felt Nick approach me from behind, and place a steadying hand on my shoulder.

"The world ended. Total atomic annihilation as they say. Nobody won that war, I tell ya." came his soft voice.

"Well…shit. Everything is gone? What year is this? Nuclear war never seemed a possibility the last I knew." I asked.

"You really don't know?" asked Piper, her head cocked in such a way that it reminded me of nothing so much as a curious dog.

I simply shook my head. I didn't have any words to convey how I felt at that moment. A gentle squeeze on my shoulder caused me to turn towards Nick.

"It's April 2288. The bombs fell a bit over 200 years ago." he said with a quiet certainty that told me he was not lying.

"How is any of this even possible? I…I can't…" my words trailed off. What else was there to say? Any hope of getting home was obliterated in that moment.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I want to thank you for reading my little tale, and for the favs/follows. My goal is to update this once a week, dear readers. That said, life is very crazy right now with school, work, and family life. There may be times where the next chapter gets slightly delayed. I hope you enjoy the story nonetheless.


	3. A Diamond City Reception

We came to an abrupt halt about 15 feet in front of a makeshift guard tower. I almost expected to see a rough chalk outline of yours truly waiting to be inspected for clues. I breathed a sigh of relief to be wrong in this case.

"Here's where you popped out of thin air, dead as the proverbial door nail." Nick said as he pointed to the ground in front of us.

I knelt down and placed my palms on the spot. Probably just wishful thinking, but I was hoping to get even a tiny flash of memory about the car crash. The idea that this was my version of the afterlife was becoming more plausible by the second. Now there's a horrifying thought if I've ever had one.

Piper and Nick remained silent while they gave me the time I needed to process what I was seeing.

"This isn't helping much. I vaguely remember hearing someone say something about life flight and getting me to safety. They wore medic gear but it had a version of the Vitruvian man instead of that caduceus thing I usually see. That's about it. It's all black after that." I mumbled.

Nick seemed to make a mental note of my description. "So we've got suspicious medical personnel at the scene of your accident. You sure nothing else comes to mind?" he asked.

I looked directly into his glowing eyes, raised an eyebrow, and reminded him that I had likely died at that point. The exhaustion from my seizure was swiftly overtaking me.

"Can we find me a spot to collapse in for a few hours? I'm too tired to go on." I asked.

"I've gotta get back to Nat. And get started on tomorrow's issue of Publick Occurrences. Interview. Don't forget, Zombie." said Piper as she headed back the way we came.

Nick scrutinized me and seemed to realize just how much my eye lids were sagging by then.

"Why don't you come back to the agency with me? I don't actually sleep so my bed is free. Or at least it is for the recently reanimated." he said while firmly taking my arm in case I did collapse. I was too worn out to argue with the man.

After we were safely ensconced in his office again, I kicked off my boots and stretched out on his bed. I laid my arms over my face, trying to block out both the light and the view of this wholly unbelievable situation. I heard the familiar click of a desk lamp being turned off. Some things never change I guess. At least everything sounded like my world so far.

I lifted my arm just enough to see the golden glow of Nick's eyes coming towards me in the dark. "Hey, Nick? Is this all real? Like really real?" I whispered as he drew near.

The springs creaked as he sat on the edge of the bed. "Afraid so, lovely lady. I don't have answers right now, but I do have some ideas. Get some sleep." he said, giving my leg a gentle pat. Before I could say another word, exhaustion took me.

"Ellie, she needed a safe place to recuperate! I'm not up to anything but working her case." Nick's voice called from the other side of the room, waking me up.

"Safe place?! And what if you needed to be safe from her, Nick? You don't know anything about her!" this Ellie woman practically shouted at him.

I slid my boots back on, and made my way over to his side. "Nice to meet you too." I said.

If looks could kill, well, I'd be a corpse in seconds. I assumed this enraged woman was his secretary or perhaps a fellow detective. As furious as she was about my presence possibly harming him, it was good to see that the people in Nick's life appeared to genuinely like and care about him though. Likeable guys are generally not untrustworthy in my experience.

"She's not a monster, Ellie. Zombie maybe, but no monster." Nick said while directing a wink my way.

I rolled my eyes, and lightly punched his closest arm. This zombie thing was never going to die. Damn. More bad death puns. I could see that Ellie was fuming inside. Was he always such a flirt, or was there something between them that I was inadvertently damaging? Shit.

Nick pointedly began steering me towards the door of the agency. Again. Being ushered around by the clockwork detective was starting to become more commonplace than I'd like.

"Piper and her friend asked to meet with us as soon as you'd woken. Now I've helped Nate out before, and he may have some connections to help figure out what happened to you. Trust me?" he said.

What other choice did I have? Stranded in the distant future, and the only person in my life now wasn't actually human. I looked into his strange eyes, and said yes. Those eyes. I found myself stealing glances at him almost involuntarily. In my time, this fully self-aware animatronic man would not have been possible. It occurred to me that for a detective, Nick didn't seem to ask many questions. Maybe he was just waiting to see what happened in this meeting with Piper and Nate. Hell, maybe he was just as lost as I was.

In a way, standing in the market by the light of day was somehow worse than it was the previous night. The blue New England sky above me looked no different than it had on the day I'd stepped out of my normal life. I thought at that moment if I asked myself how any of this was possible one more time, I'd start screaming and never stop.

I grasped Nick's hand to help stave off the panic rising in my mind. It must have startled him because he practically jumped out of his trench coat. He regained his composure rapidly though.

"You ok, lovely lady? At least ok as you can be, given the circumstances." he asked while easing his hand from my vise grip.

I guess if he wasn't going to use my given name, I'd take lovely lady over zombie lady any day.

"I'm fine. Good. Yeah, we'll go with that. Let's just get this clandestine meeting over with. It _is_ clandestine, right? God, I've always wanted to say that." I snarked. Whistling past the graveyard and all that.

"Follow me. Time to hear what these two have come up with." he said, leading us towards a young child hawking newspapers.

I knew I must have had a look of confusion on my face until I remembered Piper saying something about an article. Reporter maybe? Guess this was it. We went past the girl, and through a door into a room with a loudly banging old printer press.

A dark haired muscular man was hunched over the nearby table, head to head with Piper.

"I'm not willing to drag anyone else into this mess, Piper. You know that. Haven't we had enough drama for the time being?" he pleaded with her.

"Blue, I'm just saying that we can't pass up this opportunity. _I_ can't pass it up. Two mysterious strangers within months of each other? Man out of time, and now zombie lady from…what…an alternate universe? You've gotta know at least something to help her, Blue." Piper said.

"Must we keep going with the whole zombie lady thing? I'd like to think that I've reigned in my taste for human brains by now." I griped.

Three stunned faces stared back at me. I do so love to make an entrance.

Piper was the first to speak up. "I take it back. She's not a zombie lady. She's just insane! You sure know how to pick 'em, Nicky."

A huge grin spread across my face. If nothing else, this investigation would provide some much needed entertainment.

The imposing man with Piper crossed the small room in a few long strides. "I'm Nate. I'm still not entirely sure why these two thought I'd be the best person to help you, but I'll try. That's all I can promise. I'm sorry I can't offer more." he said while clasping my hand in a very business-like shake.

I could feel Nick's presence behind me before he even spoke. "Nate, you've been to the Institute. Hell, you know more about it than even I do, and I'm their throwaway prototype. Is there anything there that could help us? How could someone from a time even earlier than yours be here? Especially after she may just have died in that world." he asked, shooting me a sidelong glance.

"Institute? Could that sound more ominous?" I asked.

"Believe it or not, it's actually worse than it sounds. Nick, I would help if I could but I can't risk my cover. Not yet. I can keep an ear out for anything pertinent to her situation but you're mostly on your own here." Nate said with a sheepish look on his face, and a bit of guilt dancing in his deep brown eyes.

"If she's gonna be here for the long term until we can come up with a solution, where's she gonna stay? Nick, you seriously can't keep her tucked away here in Diamond City and expect no one to notice. Not with the way people here are feeling about strangers lately." Piper said.

"I can always head back home to Connecticut. Can't be any worse or stranger than here." I mused aloud.

"There are so many reasons that make that a bad idea. Have you ever fired a gun? With the intent to kill?" Nate asked.

"I'm a marketing major." I stammered as if that had any bearing on the here and now.

Killing people? Was he serious? The silence that hung over the room told me that he was. Nate sighed heavily and rubbed his temples as if I were the sudden cause of a migraine.

"Can we send her to Sanctuary, Blue? She'll be out of the way there, and Preston can teach her some basic Commonwealth survival skills." Piper asked.

"I hope your zombie delivery service offers shipment tracking. Nick would be absolutely lost without me." I said. My attempt at humor was lost on them. This was more serious than I understood, I suppose.

"I'll bring her. She's my client, so she's my responsibility. We'll leave in two days. Gives me enough time to rustle up the caps for supplies." Nick said with a certain kind of resignation in his voice.

Gently touching his shoulder so as to not catch him off guard with physical contact, I pulled Nick off to the side.

"I never meant to burden you. Don't feel you have to do this. If I'm a lost cause, I can and will find a way to make it back home. Whatever is going on here, I'll find my answers." I said.

A look I couldn't define briefly touched his face. "No, you're no burden, lovely lady. This case just got infinitely harder to crack, that's all. We'll get you to Sanctuary one way or another. Don't worry about the details. That's my job, remember? Although your determination is quite the asset if you ever want to partner up." he replied.

With a parting nod of his head towards Nate and Piper, Nick motioned for me and we left to plan our departure.


	4. On The Road

Author's Note: Oh goodness! 2 updates in one week! I've found that writing this story is a great way to distract myself from some current stress. Hopefully I can keep right along with putting thoughts into words. Enjoy!

* * *

Shrugging my shoulders to adjust the weight of the heavy rucksack I was carrying, I wondered just how long this journey to Sanctuary would take. I was spoiled by cars, buses, and airplanes. Walking was for exercise, not reaching a destination. Having an inexhaustible travel companion didn't help in the least bit. I've always been somewhat competitive, and I fought the urge to keep going beyond my limits with each hour that passed.

"Hey, Nick? I'm admitting defeat. Time to find our hidey hole for the night?" I asked.

We had been taking our dear sweet time making our way across Massachusetts. Excuse me, the Commonwealth. This was now day five on the road. This slow march was absolutely my fault. The view of a state I knew well destroyed by nuclear war was too much to take in and simply keep going. That's to say nothing of the people and creatures we came across along the way.

Prior to leaving Diamond City, Nate presented me with a 10mm pistol. A gift of survival, he called it. The Commonwealth presented more than enough opportunities to hone my sharpshooter skills. Guess it's a good thing that I played a lot of video games in what I was slowly beginning to think of as my previous life.

"Whenever you're ready, Brenna. We're in luck. This is actually a safe area to stop for the night." Nick said, interrupting my thoughts.

"Cool beans. I feel miserable and a little fire would be good right about now." I said.

We spotted the remnant of a once large house, now reduced to its foundation and first floor. "Here we go again. I'm praying that there are no giant roaches, or zombies. You know, actual scary zombies that want to eat you, not the sort of zombie I guess I am." I said with dread in my voice.

My tone was enough to capture Nick's attention. He came to my side, and gave me the subtly critical once over that I'd become used to in the last week. A comfortable sort of friendship had developed between us. Days spent on the road with nothing to do but talk in between fighting for our lives gave us the time to get to know each other. Nick was easy to talk to, and giving myself permission to trust him went a long way towards our bond.

"How're you holding up? I know this trip can't possibly be easy on you." he asked.

"I dunno. When we're beating feet and just talking, it feels like this could almost be normal, you know? Friends on a hike sorta thing. Then we end up shooting at things straight out of a horror flick or people who've gone savage, and then I think I'm starting to lose my mind. How does anyone survive in this world and remain human, Nick? It all seems unreal." I said as the tears of fear, frustration, and exhaustion began to course down my face.

This world I found myself in had already begun to change me. I would have to find strength I didn't previously have, or I'd crack and end up like any of those raiders we'd been picking off. I took a steadying breath, wiped my eyes on my sleeve, and pulled out my pistol.

"I'm ready to face whatever is in that house. How about you?" I asked, mentally bracing myself for another terrifying encounter with post-nuclear Massachusetts.

"Ready as I'll ever be. Let's make this place ours." he said, unholstering his gun.

We quietly made our way towards an opening in the rear wall of the house. Although there were no sounds issuing from the dilapidated building, I'd learned through hard experience that it was no guarantee of it being uninhabited. Nick motioned towards our right, indicating that I stay low and within his range of sight. The synth took pains to keep me as safe as he possibly could.

While I crouched down by the nearest edge of the gaping hole in what could loosely be called a wall, Nick came around beyond me to face the opening head on. A brief nod of his head was my signal to move to his side. The darkness of the coming night had cast a pall over our prospective rest stop. Anxious to be indoors and off my aching feet, I ducked past Nick's outstretched arm and into what was once the home's kitchen. He muttered something about a "stubborn dame", and followed close at my heels.

"My kingdom for a flashlight. We've gotta start making camp earlier so that we're not constantly wandering through dark buildings." I whispered.

"Or you could do the sensible thing, and let me go ahead of you." Nick retorted.

"Bah. You'll learn that I am rarely sensible. I prefer fun and excitement. That's obviously why I'm in this predicament to begin with. Why have a normal boring life when you can be caught up in a post-apocalyptic mystery?" I teased.

He made a disgusted sound and shook his head.

"I win." I said with halfhearted smile. More than anything, I wanted this day over with. Sleep was now a welcome respite from all the unanswered questions, and the ebb and flow of sadness that filled my days.

We made our way into the former parlor area of the home, shooting a few radroaches along the way. Nick had me begin sorting through the gear stowed in our packs while he secured the remaining rooms of this once sprawling home. The previous owners must have either had a large family or been delightfully well-off. We had more than enough space to spread out for the night. I was unrolling my sleeping bag next to a surviving coffee table when Nick returned.

"The official all-clear has been issued, doll." he declared.

"Fantabulous. Everything safe enough for a fire?" I asked.

A quick glance around the room was enough for us to determine that a fire was indeed a go. I had turned a small steel trashcan that we'd scavenged two days ago into a portable fire pit. Some balled up paper and dried out twigs were enough to get a modest fire burning. The glow of the flames soothed my jagged nerves.

"We should reach Sanctuary tomorrow evening at the latest. I think having more people around will do you some good. Especially after having nothing for company but a worn out old bot." Nick said.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that there's a tinge of regret in your voice, Mr. Valentine. Don't tell me you're nothing less than overjoyed to finally be rid of your charge?" I asked with a small smile.

If I'm being honest with myself, the idea of being around more people pissed me off. I had run through my story with Nick more times than I could count. I knew he was looking for any possible inconsistencies or additional memories, but it was getting old. New faces meant new questions. New questions meant going over the same strange sob story again and again. The thought alone was enough to make me want to head back to Diamond City. At least there I would be grilled only by Nick and Piper.

Pulling up an old chair so that he was facing me from the other side of the fire, Nick sat and just watched me for a moment. I cast a glance in his direction while I finished setting up my sleeping area for the night.

He blew out his breath, and hung his head slightly. How did he even manage to make that breathy sound? Did he even have some sort of mechanical equivalent of lungs? Synths were still a mystery to me, and I had a feeling that I would measure all others against Nick.

"Truth be told, I'm going to miss your company. It's been…refreshing to have a woman who is as open as you by my side. To be treated as just a man instead of a drone or a monster is a feeling I'd almost forgotten." he said.

I was more than a bit surprised. "People treat you poorly? Why? You've been nothing but honorable from what I've seen." I asked.

"That's a long and complicated story, given how unfamiliar you are with the Commonwealth and its attitudes. Let's make a long story short. Folks are afraid. Of synths, and of the unknown. They lash out. Some have it worse than others." Nick explained.

"Damn. I don't know what to say, Nick. How bad has it been for you?" I asked.

"I've gotten the better end of the stick. A cushy little life in Diamond City, and more adventure than any sane person could want. But hey, if it weren't for all that, I'd never have met you. So all things balance in the end." he said.

I felt a heat spread across my cheeks, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the fire before me. I stretched out on my sleeping bag, and thanked Nick for taking care of me for another day.

He knelt down by me, and whispered "Sleep well, Brenna. I'll be here."

I threw my arm across my face, and was asleep in minutes.

Dawn came, and off we went. The last day on the road, and it seemed neither of us were looking forward to the end of our journey. After an hour of completely uneventful walking, it occurred to me that I had no idea what Sanctuary actually was, or what would happen to me once Nick dropped me off.

"So synth sleuth, what can I expect at this Sanctuary place? Will I at least have a private spot to sack out at night?" I asked.

"Synth sleuth, eh? I almost like that. Sanctuary is where Nate lived before the war. It's become a Minutemen settlement most recently. You'll have a little place to call your own until we get you back to where you belong." he replied.

I stopped dead in my tracks. "Whoa, wait. Minutemen? Like revolutionary Boston? Paul Revere, tea party shenanigans, all that?" I asked.

By the grin on Nick's face, I guessed that my eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Yes, ma'am. All of that. Except our own Preston Garvey monitors the Minutemen these days, with Nate as the General. To say that the Commonwealth has been forever changed by Nate's arrival from the vault is an understatement." Nick said.

The more time I spent in the Commonwealth, the more I felt like everything I knew was a lie. My teenage son and I had talked of our personal interpretations of the multiverse theory in the past, and this world had me feeling too much like I was chatting with him once again.

"Every time you open your mouth, I feel more like I'm living in a bad acid trip." I remarked somewhat sourly.

Nick came to my side, and gave me a little reassuring hug. "If that's the case, then you and Mama Murphy will get along just fine." he said with that subtle smile I'd come to love seeing.

"Oh boy. You always know what to say to put me at ease, Nick." I said with an eye roll.

We kept on going down the remains of the road, a comfortable silence falling between us. The day was much warmer than I had been used to for spring in New England but then again, nuclear war had happened. The breeze that blew by and ruffled my hair reminded me of being out with my family in the summer. Memories of my kids' laughter, my husband's kiss, and the rhythm of our home life hit me like a freight train.

I startled when I felt Nick's strong hands guide me back onto the broken pavement.

"You had that thousand mile stare, lovely lady. Penny for your thoughts?" he asked gently.

We had passed by a fallen log moments before, and I doubled back to sit on it.

"Just remembering my life in Connecticut. My Jay, and our kids. I miss them, Nick. In many ways, it feels like this trip from Diamond City to Sanctuary has ripped them from me. Who has time to wallow in sorrow when they're being chased by zombies, shot at by raiders, or attacked by mutated wildlife? But it's gotten so quiet out here, closer to our destination. My brain has never done well with quiet. The memories seem larger than life right now." I told him.

Hey, bonus. No tears when talking about my family. In a way, it felt like a betrayal. How could I end up not feeling crushing heartache every time I talked about them after only a week away from my life?

"Living in the here and now doesn't mean you've forgotten them. You may end up here with us longer than any of us planned but you will get home eventually. If there was a way to get you here, there's gotta be a way back." Nick said.

"No offense, but I'll believe it when I see it." I said.

We had been making our way through Concord, and although I could tell you the history I'd learned in school, I knew nothing of what happened since the bombs fell. Nick pointed out buildings and other spots where post-war history had been made. Before long, we came across an old gas station.

"Red Rocket? Those weren't around in my time, that's for sure." I said.

"They're fairly well peppered across the Commonwealth now. Sometimes they're a safe place to hole up, like this one. Sanctuary is just over that foot bridge ahead of us." Nick said.

"Here already? Damn. I don't think I'm ready for this." I said.

"Give yourself more credit. You've survived this long, and given the things you've been dealing with, I'd say you're braver than you think." he said with an encouraging look on his face.

"Then Sanctuary it is." I replied, and off we went.


	5. Living Up To Its Name

As we reached the other end of the bridge, a surly woman standing in what looked like a makeshift guard tower glared at us. Turrets on either side of formerly grand entrance pillars, as well as more turrets on top of said pillars, targeted onto us.

"A new settler, Valentine?" she growled.

"I'm only here to see your smiling face, Marcy." Nick replied as we passed by the turrets safely.

What was clearly once a typical New England suburb was now practically a fortress. The houses that had remained standing, more or less, had been fortified and now had another level built on top of them. The construction joined three homes together, and sported more defenses similar to the ones at the entrance. Across the road from this monstrosity was a cleared out section of cement foundation. A small cooking station, vendor stalls, and a seating area occupied this space. I could see what appeared to be an actual artillery gun down at the end of the cul-de-sac.

A man spotted us making our way to the center of the settlement, and cried out a greeting to Nick. He looked like a complete blast from the past in his Minuteman getup. If nothing else, he'd be easy to spot when I had questions.

"Preston Garvey, Minuteman. And now, your teacher." Nick said, gesturing to the approaching man.

I blinked, and shot Nick a heated look. "Teaching me what exactly? I thought I would just be hunkering down here until we came up with a plan to get me home." I said. I tried to hide my irritation at this turn of events but failed spectacularly.

The more entrenched I became in this world, the less likely I would want to leave it. I know it sounds counterintuitive. I _want_ to get home to my family. But let's be honest here. Does it seem likely to happen? I was constantly asking myself if it might make more sense to just build a life here in the Commonwealth. I'd found a few good people to begin that journey with after all. But what about my kids? How would they manage growing up without a mother? Would my husband of 16 years move on from me as easily as I apparently was from him? And what kind of person did that make me? Hopefully Nick would find some answers, and I could begin working on my escape.

"Nate sent word about the new arrival. We expected you both a few days ago. Run into any trouble along the way?" Preston asked pointedly.

"No, no troubles at all. Just getting my traveling companion acclimated to the Commonwealth along the way. Lovely lady, this is Preston. Nate and Piper asked him to teach you basic survival skills, and help you set up a little home for the time being." Nick said as he took my hand and placed it in Preston's. "Now shake and say hello, you two."

Having gotten used to Nick's touch, feeling Preston's large hands engulf mine was a little odd. Never in my life did I think I'd prefer a robot's hand to a warm living man's. Just another little shock in this new life I suppose.

"I'm Preston Garvey. Good to meet you. You are?" he asked.

"Brenna will suffice for now. I hear you're going to teach me how to survive in this hellhole." I replied.

"That's the idea. I'm looking to improve your proficiency with guns, teach you basic things such as starting fires and scavenging for both food and useful supplies, and perhaps most importantly, building a good set of protective armor. This should be a start to what you'll need to learn out here. For all intents and purposes, you'll be a settler like most of the folks around here in Sanctuary, so you may want to learn the skills that will allow you to become a productive member of our little society. Farming would be a good place to start on that front." Preston informed me.

"Brenna does a fine job of starting fires and finding food supplies so far. I've begun teaching her lock picking and some computer terminal hacking already. I think she'll prove to be an eager learner for you." Nick added.

I took Nick's arm and tugged him away from this Minuteman guy.

"Excuse us for a moment." I told Preston. I caught a glimpse of Preston's mildly surprised look as we walked over to a bench in front of the nearest abandoned house.

"Nick, sit with me a bit. Please?" I asked.

"Anything for you. Something on your mind? You look as overwhelmed as Nate first did when he rescued me from an old Vault full of mobster types." Nick said.

"Seriously? I can't imagine Nate feeling like I do, or you being captured by anyone for that matter." I said incredulously.

"That's a tale for another day. In any case, what did you want to talk about?" he asked, his voice lowered so only I could hear.

I laid my head on his shoulder, just wanting a familiar friend nearby and a moment to collect myself. I told him as much.

"If you need a bit of quiet, it'd be my honor to stay here with you." he said.

We sat like that together for a while, simply enjoying each other's company. This whole situation sucked so much. Nick felt like a solid force in the whirlwind of emotions and events these days. I needed an anchor, and he fit the bill nicely.

"Nick, I'm gonna miss you when you go back to Diamond City. It's been nice having you near." I whispered. I wanted to say these things, but wasn't certain I wanted him to hear it. I didn't take into account that his hearing was superior to mine. Damn.

He hesitated a moment, and said "I'll miss you too. Life has certainly taken a turn for the interesting."

"That it has, my friend. That it has." I said.

Preston approached us, and asked if I was ready to get started on building up my home since I'd said my goodbyes to Nick. I wasn't ready, not to build and certainly not to watch my clockwork detective leave. But I pretended everything was ok, and got to my feet.

"Sounds good to me. I could use a roof over my head that didn't involve some sort of extermination beforehand. Where do I start?" I said.

"There's an empty yellow house down by the artillery cannon. I'll have Sturges get you started on fortifying it, and check in on your progress in a few hours." Preston said. It sounded a bit too much like he was issuing orders to me, but I guess that was just his way.

"I'll walk you down there, Brenna. Gives us a few more minutes to plan out what happens next. I've got some ideas on that front." Nick said, offering me his arm. I gladly took it, and we strolled down to the house that would be mine.

"I'm not ready for this, Nick. Having a place to call home in this world? Honestly, it makes me worried that we won't find a way back to _my_ world. You mentioned that you had some thoughts on that?" I asked.

"Since it seems that Nate is reluctant to help us out, I'm thinking we need to gather some other resources. We can find folks who might have the information we're looking for, or at least a place to start finding it without getting Nate more involved than he cares to be." he said.

"That could work. I'll defer to you on that, synth sleuth. Nate seemed like a bit of a prick anyway when I met him so frankly, I'd rather not have him around us much. Is that typical for him? Sorry to say that if he's a good friend of yours." I said.

Nick sighed. "He wasn't always like that. The man you met is not much like the man who saved me, or the one Piper fell in love with. The more time he spends at the Institute, the more he changes." he said with a note of sadness in his voice.

"The institute again. That place must be full of bad mojo to have such an impact on people." I said.

"That's putting it mildly. Ever since I woke up in a trash pile, I've questioned the motives of the place that created me and all the other synths." he said.

"The Institute has other synths like you, Nick?" I asked with some surprise.

He chuckled and said "Not quite like me. I'm a prototype. Somewhere between what they call Gen 2 and Gen 3, I suppose. I was part of some experiment. Sticking a living human's life, memories, and experiences into a synth brain and body. I'm not truly human, and more than the early synth models before me. Guess we have that in common. Not quite here nor there."

We came to a halt in front of the house Preston had assigned me. It was getting close to sunset. I turned at the sound of footsteps behind us. A man in dirty overalls who had the look of a mechanic or carpenter came to join us while we stared at the house.

"Sturges here. You're the newcomer? Welcome to Sanctuary. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised to see how well she lives up to her name." he said while sticking out his hand for a shake.

I shook his hand and said "Welcome home, I guess."


	6. Starting From Scratch

Over the course of the next two weeks, I learned an awful lot about end of the world construction techniques. It mostly involved slapping extra boards together with a hope and a prayer. Ok, so maybe not quite that desperate but not by much. Slowly but surely, the beaten down yellow house became more livable. Sturges was an excellent teacher and a huge help when it came to making it feel like a solid home. Some of the other settlers donated things like nails, furniture, and an extra hand when needed. My new next door neighbor shared her generator once we were able to scout out the supplies she needed to make it stronger. Having a cozy little place with lights to push back the night turned out to be just what I needed to begin calming down a bit in this new world I'd found myself in.

Preston started in on his formal lessons once my house was about as complete as I cared to make it, which truthfully wasn't much. We began with weapons training. Turned out that I was much more proficient at shooting with hunting rifles than any of the other guns we had tried. He also showed me how to modify my new weapon so it would better meet my needs. A good sight went a long way to improving both my accuracy and my peace of mind. The further from battle the better off I was, in my opinion at least.

While shooting targets made of old glass cola bottles down by the banks of the small river that flowed just outside of Sanctuary had been fun, going after live prey proved to be more exciting. And by exciting I mean frustrating. Picking off bloatflies and mole rats did eventually improve my reaction time. Preston somehow managed to be both encouraging and commanding at the same time.

"That's it! Just spend a little more time tracking your target and you'll miss less." Preston said with approval at my progress.

"If the damn flies would stay still for a second, this would be much easier." I said.

"Easy doesn't help you hone your skills. You've got this. We'll just keep practicing." he said with a little pat to my shoulder.

"Let's head back to Sanctuary. You'd promised we could begin work on that whole armor thing. Make me a walking tin can and I'll be a happy lady." I said, dreaming of knights and shining armor. If I could be encased in enough material to ensure my survival, that was all I needed to be able to sleep better at night.

"Power armor is still a bit out of your arena." Preston said with a smile.

We gathered up our weapons, and began the short hike back to the settlement. Despite having my own personal hunting rifle, I still kept Nate's 10mm pistol strapped to my belt. Having the first weapon I'd ever carried in the Commonwealth by my side gave me a measure of comfort I never would've expected.

As we entered Sanctuary, I could see a pack brahmin up ahead near the trading post area of the settlement. The two-headed beasties still left me a little nauseous at the sight of them, even though they had been coming and going frequently enough. For the people of Sanctuary, having the chance to shop, trade a little gossip from other settlements, and perhaps score a bargain seemed to brighten up life here. I still needed help on that end. Using bottle caps as currency was such a foreign concept to me that Preston was forever worried I would get scammed in my attempts to trade. He was usually right, at least when Trashcan Carla came through. That woman could smell a mark a hundred miles away.

"Hey, I'm going to go see what some of this ammo I'm not going to use can get me. Wanna come with?" I asked Preston, hoping he'd say no.

"Sure. Sounds like a good time for another lesson on when to trade, and when to keep your caps." he said brightly.

The crowd had thinned out a bit by the time we had made our way over to the trader. Since I was so absorbed in counting through my ammo stash, I wasn't paying too much attention to the man who was working out a deal with one of the residents. His gravelly voice sounded odd, but who am I to judge? A lifetime in a radioactive wasteland probably affected more things in people than I was even aware of.

"C'mon, Dan! I don't have that many caps on me. Can't ya go a little lower on your price?" Leo whined.

Leo lived in one of the rooms on top of the Complex. That was the name Sanctuary's residents had given to that monstrously huge construction that had become an unmistakable landmark for many in the surrounding area. The man also had a budding drug addiction. Unlike Mama Murphy, Leo had no "special ability" to help him sucker folks out of their chems.

"You know my prices are firm. Honestly, I should raise my chem prices in your case. You've got to start cleaning up your act, Leo." the trader whose name was apparently Dan said sternly.

I glanced up to watch the unfolding haggle-turned-argument. I screamed, dropped my rucksack, and pulled the 10mm out, aiming it at the zombie trader. Everyone in my vicinity took off running. Except Preston. He grabbed my arms, and restrained me.

"Don't shoot, Brenna! He's not a feral!" Preston shouted.

For my part, all I could do was tremble with the sudden shock and fear of something so dangerous in our midst. How could everyone just act like we were safe?

The zombie was backing away from me slowly, holding its hands in the air like we were playing a game of Cops and Robbers.

"Hold her back! I didn't do anything wrong, I swear!" it yelled, the obvious fear of me in its voice.

Preston wrestled the pistol from my hands, and began dragging me back the way we'd returned to Sanctuary.

"You've got to calm down. Dan isn't feral. He's a pre-war ghoul. Nate knew him from back then. That's why he's now one of our dedicated traders. He won't hurt anyone. He's probably the most harmless guy I know." he said.

"What the flying fuck is a ghoul?! Preston, it's a zombie. We have to kill it!" I said in a panic, struggling to get out of his firm embrace.

"Brenna, listen to me. He. Is. Not. Going. To. Hurt. You. Let's get you back home for a bit, and I'll explain. Come on." he said with that same commanding authority I'd become accustomed to from him.

As Preston marched me back to my house, the ghoul sat cowering by the cooking station. I glared at the creature. It shrank back even further into the chair it was sitting in. Various settlers gathered around it, trying to soothe the monster in their midst.

As soon as we were safe in my temporary home, Preston pointed at the couch and ordered me to sit down. With the sudden shock of it all, I complied without so much as a peep.

"You've got to understand: there are two types of ghouls. Normal and feral. You've only had experience with feral ones. Yes, those ones will attack mercilessly. Ghouls like Dan are normal people who survived the bombs, and turned into what they are. Just like you and me. You've got nothing to fear from them." he said.

"Nothing to fear? Are you kidding me? Preston, you've seen them up close. They're monsters!" I said.

"While some might be assholes, they're not monsters. You owe Dan an apology. If you'd just talk to him, you'll see that he's a good guy." he said.

He practically dragged me out of my home and over to the ghoul. Although there were some tense words at first, things seemed to calm down around the cook fire after a heartfelt apology on my part. Turns out that Preston was right, and Dan was indeed harmless. As we chatted, alarms blared in the night. The spotlights on top of the Complex swiveled towards the side of Sanctuary closest to the river bank. People all around us jumped up, grabbed their weapons, and ran towards the beginning of a battle.


	7. The More Things Change

The night exploded around me, and the whine of missiles flying overhead meant one thing. Supermutants. Nick had explained to me what they were on our journey from Diamond City. He'd done his best to steer us around any areas known to harbor the "greenskins". Now there was no avoiding them.

"Go back inside, Brenna!" Preston shouted while cranking up his laser musket.

"Not a chance! You said I'd have to learn to handle myself in active combat someday!" I yelled back, grabbing my hunting rifle from where it sat at my feet.

"Then let's go. Flank them on your left!" he yelled in reply.

Preston took off to the right, firing as he went. I was suddenly grateful that my gun was already set to go. Trying to reload while running was still beyond me. To my left was the little patch of fenced-in garden, and a rusted out set of playground equipment. I ran to hide behind the edge of the nearest house beyond the playground. As I peeked out around the corner of the building, I got my first glimpse of human ingenuity gone awry.

Standing around seven feet tall, an obscenely muscled green creature wielding a giant board took a swing at a man who was wobbling towards Preston. Dammit. It was Leo. He was apparently already stoned out of his mind, and thought the mutants were hallucinations.

Preston saw the idiot veering towards him, and took out the mutant with a practiced shot to the abdomen. It was almost a relief to see Leo finally collapse to the ground and pass out. At least he would no longer be risking his life, or anyone else's for that matter.

A bullet went shrieking by my arm, and I whipped my head towards the source. Another mutant, hollering threats, was shooting a hunting rifle in my direction. _Two can play at this game_ , I thought. I lined up its head in my scope, and squeezed off a shot. Either I missed or the obscenity was unphased by the wound. Probably the former and not the latter. _Shit a brick_. In my sudden panic at being targeted by this mutant, I fired off two more shots in rapid succession. One more and I'd have to reload.

The supermutant clutched its face, and yelled "STUPID HUMAN!" while falling over, but not before a searing pain went through my right leg. Bingo! Got one! My victory was short lived. I felt blood flowing down to my ankle. Well that's what being shot felt like, I guess. So much for being heroic in the face of danger. I screamed and grabbed my calf, dropping my gun in the process. The ground shook as a mutant sprinted behind me.

"Hit the ground!" a settler screamed at me.

No complaints from me! I ate dirt as I dropped faster than I thought possible. Her sniper rifle blew the mutant's head off. Glancing back at it, I saw that the damn thing was larger than the others storming Sanctuary. What the hell kind of weapon did it drop anyway? Now was not the time for curiosity but I began crawling over despite my better judgment. I waved at the settler who had taken out the mutant for me, and off she ran to assist other hapless folks.

The weapon dropped by the mutant had what looked suspiciously like a small bomb chambered in it. Well, that's out of my league. If I could make it back to Preston, maybe he could use it to our advantage. I looked at my leg, and even though the pain was enormous, it seemed safe to hobble on it. Hoisting my gun on its strap to its accustomed place on my shoulder, I began heading through the shadows towards Preston.

I spotted his hat before I could make out his face. Preston was quite the efficient shooter, and had several mutants either dead or dying near him. It seemed as though the people of Sanctuary had begun to turn the tide of battle. These folks were obviously far more talented in combat survival than I was. I should've hid in my home the way Preston had commanded. Too late now, I guess.

"More greenskins incoming!" screamed a familiar voice.

"Piper?" Preston and I shouted in surprised unison.

Suddenly we could see her and Nate sprinting over the footbridge to join us. Both were armed and ready. It was a relief to have more skilled fighters on our side. Nate came to halt in front us, breathing heavily.

"We heard the ambush as we were on our way, and came running. Saw more mutants heading around Red Rocket towards the river. Have everyone concentrate their fire to the left of Sanctuary." Nate ordered.

"On it, General." Preston said as he took off to gather everyone up.

"Enjoying the Commonwealth, Zombie?" Piper asked with a smirk as she and Nate sprinted away.

"Shit. Here we go." I sighed.

I caught up with Nate as he pulled his ammo out to slide it into his fancy looking pistol. He motioned for me to get down. I was sensing a theme at this point. He took down two mutants with two precise shots, and turned to make sure I had followed his directions.

"Nate, I found a huge gun with a bomb in it over near the playground. Can we use that?" I told him.

He and Piper exchanged a look.

"Blue, get that Fat Man and take them out. I'll stay with her." Piper said.

He ran off, and Piper gazed after him with loving concern. I knew that look well, having given and received the same from my husband many times over our years together. Moments later, a huge explosion shattered the night. I sat back with shock at seeing a small mushroom cloud not too far from the river bank.

"What the blue hell was that?" I asked Piper.

"A mini nuke. Haven't seen one of those go off yet?" she asked casually as if it were absolutely normal to see such things.

A cheer went up from the crowd assembled near the playground. The fight for Sanctuary had been won. Then I promptly passed out.


	8. The More They Stay The Same

Author's Note:

This chapter was a special request from my husband who has acted as my beta. We've done "Fallout foods night" dinners for our kids recently, and he thought it would be amusing to feature some of the conversations we've had about Commonwealth cuisine. If you like this one, or loathe it, that's all on my own Jay. Grab a snack and enjoy!

* * *

The sunlight that filtered in through my makeshift curtains brushed my eyelids. A whirring sound accompanied by a British accented voice came from my kitchenette. Nate was speaking softly with someone in there about only Goddess knew what.

I grudgingly opened my eyes. The pain blossoming in my leg reminded me of the previous night's war with the mutants, and the reason for me passing out. Getting shot really sucked. I tentatively lifted myself up, being mindful of my wound. Glancing down, it appeared that someone had patched me up. I wasn't sure that I wanted to know where the stitching thread had come from.

I made my way towards where I'd heard Nate and his unknown companion talking. At that point I began wondering if this world had any good painkillers left. I saw him sitting at the little table in the kitchenette. A round hovering robot came into view. It asked Nate if it ought to make a pot of coffee. Before he could decline the offer, I piped up.

"Coffee would be like the nectar of the gods right about now. I didn't even know it was possible in this world to get a good cuppa." I said with a grin of anticipation.

"Of course, mum. I'll start the pot up now." said the robot.

"Brenna, this is Codsworth. He's my Mister Handy from before the war. He's part of my family, and the one who doctored you up last night." Nate said with obvious affection for the bot.

"Good to meet you, Codsworth. Thanks for the medical assist, and more importantly, the coffee." I said.

The Commonwealth and all its oddities were apparently beginning to grow on me. The idea of a personal robot butler felt absolutely logical in this world. I don't know if that meant I was accepting the idea of being here for the foreseeable future, or that I'd simply given up hope. The two were not mutually exclusive.

Nate slid two syringes across the table towards me. I eyed them suspiciously while Codsworth placed a wonderfully steaming mug of coffee before me. Distracted by the arrival of my favorite start to the day, I stuck my nose down into the steam rising from the cup and inhaled deeply.

"Codsworth, you are a wonder. This smells amazing! I've missed coffee so much this last month." I told him.

"Glad to hear it, mum! Mr. Nate, should you really be giving the stimpak and med-x to Ms. Brenna _now_?" Codsworth said to the both of us.

"Ah. So the mysterious needles now have a name. What exactly are these?" I asked Nate.

"The stimpak will help heal the gunshot wound. The med-x will take the pain away for now. If you want to use them, feel free. I've got enough to spare. Just inject them close to the wound for the best effect." Nate replied.

"I guess it's a good thing that I'm used to giving myself injections. I'll be right back, gentlemen." I said, gathering up the medications.

Heading back to my bedroom, I was thunderstruck. I've lived with chronic illnesses for the last few years. I was first diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called rheumatoid arthritis and shortly thereafter, the epilepsy that landed me in this crazy situation. Amongst all the medications I took, a weekly injection to suppress my immune system was one of them. Preparing to shoot myself up with the drugs Nate gave me reminded me of this aspect of my life before all this. I couldn't believe that it took me nearly a month to realize that despite not having any of my medications, my diseases hadn't caused me even an iota of problems.

I sat down on my bed, and stared at the needles before me. What was happening to me? And perhaps more importantly, why? I rolled up my pants leg, and gave myself the shots. The relief from the pain was immediate and very welcome. Having my old life come back to visit though? That was a different sort of pain entirely.

"Everything ok back there?" Nate called.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'll be back for that coffee in a moment." I replied.

I stood up, and gingerly tested out my leg. No pain, and it felt fine to bear weight on. I headed back to the kitchenette, and prepared to deal with whatever information that Nate had brought with him.

Sitting back at my table, I finally took a sip of the coffee. I sighed with complete satisfaction at having a morning joe. I noticed a little cake sitting on a plate near my mug. After a quick inspection, I figured it would be safe to eat. A nibble and a sip later, I had to ask where it came from.

Nate smiled and laughed. "You've never heard of Fancy Lad snack cakes?" he asked.

"Ah, no. Little Debbie or Hostess, sure." I said, a little puzzled.

"Huh? Anyway, these cakes are easy enough to find out in the wastes. A trader came through and I figured I'd stock up your cabinets while you slept off your adventures from last night." Nate said.

"Oh man. I'll never understand the Commonwealth's insistence on eating 200 year old food. My husband always said Twinkies would survive the apocalypse but I never thought I'd see it myself." I said, suddenly feeling a little green in the gills.

"My Nora said similar things about the Fancy Lads. She also had a distaste for the Salisbury steak I kept around." Nate said. A look of grief touched his face at remembering his dead wife.

"OnCor? Man, my middle son couldn't get enough of that stuff! I think the nights I brought those damn things home were the best of his life." I said, smiling at the memory of my kids.

"Never heard of that brand. We would get Saddle-Up ones." Nate said.

We spent the better part of the morning drinking Codsworth's coffee and talking about the parallels between our worlds. Our lost spouses felt like ghosts in the room. As Nate shared more of his family life, I began to envy him in a way. He still had the hope of finding his son any day. I had many miles to go before finding a way back into my family's arms.

"Well, time to get back to it. Piper will be wondering where I've gone off to, and if she can get a story out of it." Nate said, standing and stretching.

"Nate, can I ask you a personal question?" I asked.

"Sure. What's on your mind?" he replied.

"You and Piper. Do you love her?" I asked carefully.

"Yeah. I really do." he said. A silly little smile lit up his usually dark features.

"When you started to fall for her, did it feel like you were betraying Nora?" I couldn't stop myself from asking.

"At little bit at first. But Piper…she just made it easy. Since coming out of that Vault, she was the best thing to happen to me." he said. After a moment's thought, he added "Any reason why you might be asking?"

"No. I'm not sure. Maybe?" I said.

I was feeling thoroughly conflicted at that moment. Spending the morning hours reminiscing with Nate had brought back all the feelings about my family that I had pushed to the back burner. This last month had been about survival. There had been precious little time for grieving. But there were many times I found my thoughts wandering towards Nick. Then again, when Preston would stand behind me and help guide my aim, it was challenging to think of anything else but his touch. What the hell was wrong with me? My husband was at home, waiting for my return. At least I hoped he was.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts, and escorted Nate and Codsworth to the door. As he stepped through the open entryway to head out into the bright mid-morning sun, Nate finally told me why he had been sitting in my home when I awoke.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Nick sent a message along with Piper and I. He wants to meet you in Goodneighbor. There's a bar called The Third Rail. As much as he detests it, he figured that would be a nicely conspicuous meeting place. You can easily tag along with the next caravan to come through here. Should make for smoother traveling, being with the caravan guards." Nate mentioned almost casually.

Shit.

"I'll get right on that, Nate. Thanks for stopping by." I said as I shut the door in Codsworth's visual sensors.

Time to suck it up and hit the open road again. Goodneighbor, here we come.


	9. A Lovely Day In The Neighborhood

A week later, I finally left Sanctuary. A feeling of safety and of home crept up on me there, and made leaving much harder than I'd anticipated. I came across Dan and his pack brahmin as I headed down the road towards Red Rocket. He offered to escort me to Goodneighbor since it was along his route. The ghoul was very gracious after the way I had treated him. I gladly took him up on his offer. Traveling alone in this godforsaken world held no appeal for me.

Dan had a knack for putting me at ease. He spoke at length about his former life as a door-to-door sales rep for Vault-Tec. At my puzzled expression, he explained the company, and the vaults to save people from the inevitable nuclear devastation. I had asked him if he had a space in the vault that Nate's family did, and a sour expression crossed his otherwise amicable face.

"No, the company left me to rot. I doubt many of us who held my position made it through the war. It was just sheer dumb luck that I was turned ghoul and lived this long." he said.

"So you're quite a bit younger than me." I said with a laugh to quell the tension.

Dan asked me about my age, my life, and my world. I asked him about his life before the war, and how he's fared since. We talked well into the night even after we had made camp. The next morning we got a late start, and took our time on the road. I felt a little better about this world at each settlement we stopped at. The people were always eager to see Dan and his wares, but also to chat with him. I guess good men were hard to come by. Those that existed tended to be either traders, settlement leaders, or humble farmers.

Our last day traveling together before arriving at Goodneighbor was unseasonably chilly for the post-apocalypse. The only clothes I had aside from the deep blue dress I'd found and was wearing were my original outfit from Connecticut, a set of road leathers, and the various leather armor components Preston had helped me create. After shivering for an hour, Dan draped his trench coat over my shoulders. We both laughed at how it fit me. As short as I am, the hem grazed my ankles. At least it was nice and warm. I was concerned that he would freeze, but Dan said ghouls tended to run hot. I took him at his word.

We crossed the gate into Goodneighbor that evening, and said our goodbyes. Feeling impulsive, I gave him a hug. Dan's expression changed from surprise to delight in short order. The way he would look at me when he thought I didn't notice wasn't lost on me. Before dashing down the road between shops and the Old State House, he softly kissed the corner of my mouth. I stood there, stunned, with my hand covering the spot where his lips had touched me.

A knowing chuckle came from one of the shops. I turned my head towards the voice. A female ghoul was leaning against the entryway to the store.

"That poor boy is absolutely smitten with you, honey. Seems like you're playing with fire." she drawled.

"I… I have no idea what you're talking about. We're just starting to become friends." I said indignantly.

"Ah Daisy, stop teasing the kid. She's barely set foot through the gate, and here you are harassing her." said another ghoul exiting the State House.

The man carried himself with authority. His outfit certainly added to his overall demeanor. A red coat and tricorn hat from the 1700s gave him a look that clearly indicated who was in charge of Goodneighbor. Dan had warned me about this Hancock. The mayor took shit from absolutely no one.

"Do either of you know where The Third Rail is? I'm supposed to be meeting a friend there." I asked, trying to diffuse the tension in the air.

The mayor had a highly amused expression on his face. He pointed towards the path Dan had taken after the kiss.

"Down that street, around the corner and to your left. Maybe you and your 'friend' should have a couple of drinks together. You two can head over to the Hotel Rexford for some privacy after." Hancock said with a grin that clearly indicated he thought Dan was the friend in question.

I ignored the waves of laughter at my expense, and took off towards the bar. Now that I was actually there, meeting up with Nick became my largest concern. As I walked, I kept finding my fingers returning to the spot where Dan's lips had been. What the hell was that all about anyway? From a first hug to a kiss in just moments? I needed to clear my thoughts before entering the bar, or I really would end up having a few drinks to forget things for a while. Not exactly a good place to be in mentally when business was at hand.

My distraction was interrupted by the bar's bouncer. He waved me ahead, and directed me downstairs. I was grateful that Preston and Dan helped change my mind about ghouls. Screaming my head off and brandishing a weapon at every one of them I ran into would get me killed, sooner or later. Probably sooner if I spent more time in Goodneighbor.

Music wafted up the stairs from the bar below. A sultry woman's voice singing along made The Third Rail feel like a place one could truly kick back and forget their worldly cares. A Mister Handy bot with a bowler hat was serving drinks to the mostly ghoul patrons. I spotted Nick sitting at a corner table near the bar. A little nod of his head indicated that he had seen me as well.

I made a beeline for him. It'd been six long weeks since I'd last seen my synth sleuth. As I neared his table, he patted the seat right next to him. I was glad to have a moment with Nick after what had seemed to be a lifetime at Sanctuary.

"There's my lovely lady. Did Sanctuary meet your expectations?" Nick asked, sounding as if he knew about the mutant attack.

"It was certainly a learning experience." I said dryly.

"First time getting shot? It takes some getting used to." he said.

"I'd rather not have enough experience to get used to being shot. Any word on the getting home front? It's been too long, Nick." I asked anxiously.

"I've found a lead for us, but you might not like it. Come take a walk with me. Better to not have prying ears around us." he said.

Nick stood, and offered his hand. Without hesitation, I accepted his assistance. We set off towards the stairs, and he slipped his arm around my waist. A pleasant surprise, but a surprise nonetheless. I looked into his glowing eyes, and asked what was up with the intimate touch.

"Have you ever met anyone who followed a couple as they left a bar for the night?" he asked.

"Not that I can remember. That doesn't answer my question though." I said.

"We're just heading out for a little canoodling, dollface." he said with a wink.

After leaving the bar, we headed for a dark corner near a place called the Memory Den. No one was nearby, and it seemed safe enough for whatever Nick was going to tell me without being overheard.

"Hold on a sec. Not even gonna attempt to steal a kiss, Valentine?" I asked, trying hard not to laugh. Not to say that the prospect didn't hold some thrill.

"Maybe another night, lovely lady. With everything surrounding your case, I've been reluctant to take this step. But I kept coming back to the Vitruvian man on the medic's uniform that you saw immediately after your crash. A small detail but if it stuck out to you, it holds some importance from your world, and possibly mine." he said.

"I know it was…unique, Nick. But why are we here? What the fresh hell _is_ a memory den?" I asked. This had the feeling of something both monumental and inconsequential.

"We need to see more of what you may remember from your world before you ended up here. The Memory Den will do just that. Hook you up to one of those pods, and we'll be dancing along your synapses in no time." he said.

Nick opened the door for me, and my brain was on the line once again.


	10. Thanks For The Memories

A blond woman in lingerie was draped across a red velvet chaise just beyond what looked to be several virtual reality pods. Nick's arm was once again around my waist, but this time he was guiding me towards the door at the back of the large room. As we passed, Nick and the stunning woman exchanged a few pleasantries. Once we were into the next room, he slowed his pace.

"I need you to be prepared for what you may experience. Reliving the past in these pods can be intense. Dr. Amari might be able to send me along with you if you'd like. If not, I'll be here awaiting your return." he said.

"Wait. Return? Is it truly sending me back?" I asked, unable to hide the excitement I felt at possibly rejoining my family this night.

Sadness touched Nick's eyes as he said "Not in a physical sense, I'm afraid. Just in your memories. Your body will be here with us."

So much for hope.

"You said this doctor can send you with me. How? And would it be better that way? A second set of eyes in case I get overwhelmed." I said, thinking about how close I'd felt to going home.

"Let's talk to her, and see what our options are. If I can help, I will." he said.

A slim woman with dark hair and a lab coat was standing over a counter laden with test tubes, hot plates, and beakers. She paused in her notations to see the two of us enter.

"Mr. Valentine, this is quite a surprise. I'd have thought you'd had your fill of the memory loungers after last time." Dr. Amari said.

"That case has been closed, Doc. This lovely lady with me has pressing need of my services however. I figured the best way to help her at this point would be to take a peek at her recent past." Nick said, his voice heavy with the seriousness of my situation.

The doctor turned her attention to me, and got right down to business. A stern clinical look on her face, she began to take my vitals and a quick medical history. A baseline reading before attempting to access my memories, she explained. The three of us discussed the finer points and potential merits of having Nick's consciousness travel along with mine. It seemed there were no good answers but plenty of questionable ones.

"How far back do we need to go? Closer to our current timeline would help yield better results." Dr. Amari asked.

"Probably a bit more than six weeks ago. Not quite seven weeks though." I answered.

"Good, good. We should have minimal problems then." she replied.

My nerves were shot. I now understood the risks involved, and why we needed this information but damn. Because of the nature of the memory loungers, I could have another seizure. Potentially a bad one. And even with all the expertise of the doctor, we could still walk away with nothing to go on.

"Nick, come with me. If nothing else, you can get a glimpse of my world. Doing this alone…well, I'm not sure if I can handle that." I whispered, my fear getting the better of me.

He patted the roof of the lounger closest to the stool he sat on. Dr. Amari nodded, hooked Nick up to some wires attached to the pod, and told me to climb in when I was ready. I took a deep breath, steadied myself, and took a seat in the lounger. Watching the lid descend reminded me of the times I've had surgery. The scared feeling in the pit of my stomach as the anesthesia mask closed over my face repeated itself now.

The screen before my eyes began a countdown. There was a flash, and everything went black. I heard nothing at first, and then Nick's voice calling to me from across the void.

 _The pleasant smell of coffee, and the music emanating from the speakers. The feel of the steering wheel in my hands, and the crisp breeze on my face. Horns honking around me. Hartford, once again._

"Well, here we are, lovely lady. I must say that I'm impressed, and that doesn't happen often." came Nick's voice.

I looked over at the passenger seat, and there he was. There was a sense of overlap as our worlds collided. He turned his head frequently, left to right and back again, taking in the sights all around us. The familiar and well-loved to me became the disconcerting and foreign to him.

I felt the warmth of tears trickling down my cheeks. I was getting so damn tired of crying. I couldn't help it though. I was home. Finally home. My car. My state. My world.

"If I turn now, this exit, I can be home in just minutes! Please please please. I need them! Jay and my kids. Oh god, please!" I cried.

No matter how I struggled, I couldn't turn the wheel. These events were but mere memories. Every instinct I had screamed with the need to go home. Seeing all that I loved pass by drove me towards the brink.

I felt Nick's hand on my leg. Looking over at him wouldn't change the path of my car so the risk was worth it. His lantern yellow eyes were full of pity, and his tender touch was meant to bring comfort that just would not come.

"Any doubts I've had about the veracity of your claims just vanished. This world is beyond any description you've given me." he said.

"You sound disappointed in me. Why?" I asked.

"Every bit of your memory is crucial to finding the true way home for you. Suppose I'm just wishing that you'd have had more trust in my abilities…in me." he said.

The car changed lanes without my assistance. Peering out the window, I could see the vehicles around us speeding up. The crash was nearing. Nothing could be done to change that now. Anger began to well up inside me. All this for nothing.

"Look alive, synth sleuth. I'm about to die." I commanded.

Nick's pained expression changed to shock as the world around us dimmed, swirled, and jolted. For me, it was the disgustingly familiar sensation of the seizure, and the crash. I could only begin to guess what it felt like for him.

What I had been too disoriented to notice the first time stood out like a star going super nova in the darkest corners of space now. The sickening roll as the car overturned. The scream of brakes all around me. The spikes of pain as shards of the shattered windshield were forced into my face and hands. And not to be outdone by lesser concerns, there were popping sounds as various bones broke throughout my body.

As soon as it began, it ended. My car and its contents had scraped to a halt against the concrete barriers to the nearest exit. Sirens could be heard in the distance. I couldn't move, and felt utterly limp as I hung from my seatbelt with my head pressed into the roof of my car.

Nick's voice came from outside the car to my left.

"Are you alright? Of course she's not, Valentine. Shit." he muttered before raising his voice.

"I'm right here, Brenna! Just hold on to this memory as best you can. I'll sort out the details." he called.

Then my vision swam out of focus, and it was all gone.


	11. What Once Was

I gasped as I sat up, my lungs burning for air. It felt the same as when I would go swimming, daring myself to stay underwater as long as I could. My heart sank as the room around me came into focus. Nick was right. Home was still unreachable except through my memories.

"Don't sit up too fast. The disorientation may last a few minutes." Dr. Amari said. The parallels to how I first gained consciousness in this world were eerie.

"I'm ok, I'm ok. Nick, where are you?" I asked.

"I'm right here, Brenna. Take my hand." he said.

I felt his metallic fingers trace over mine, and I grasped onto him like a drowning woman would cling to a life preserver. He helped me exit the lounger, and held me steady on my feet for a few moments.

"Did you see, Nick? My world?" I asked. I could not keep the pain of the loss of my life that was out of my voice.

"I saw, lovely lady. I saw." Nick said softly.

It seemed he was just as impacted by his time in my memories as I was. My grief overtook me, and I threw my arms around his waist, burying my face in his neck. I heard a sound of surprise come from deep in his throat, and felt, more than saw, his arms move in the air around us with awkward hesitancy. After a moment though, his arms wrapped around me as tightly as I had mine around him. Nick murmured private reassurances into my ear, and for the first time, I believed him.

Dr. Amari interrupted our shared turmoil. "Did you get the information you were looking for, Mr. Valentine?" she asked.

Her voice snapped me back to the reality of the Commonwealth, and away from my longing for Connecticut. Nick stepped from my embrace, smoothed his trench coat, and told Dr. Amari that he did indeed see the Vitruvian symbol clad paramedics, and witnessed my extraction from my destroyed Ford. I wanted to hear more about what Nick saw, but not in front of Amari. The woman's brusque nature got on my nerves.

"Thanks for your assistance, Doctor. We'll be in touch if we need to take another trip down memory lane." Nick said.

"Yes, Doc. Thank you for that brief taste of home. It meant something important to me." I said.

And with that, we were off. Night still lingered over Goodneighbor. It occurred to me that outside of my humble home in Sanctuary, I really had no other place to go. After Mayor Hancock's little joke about the hotel in town, I wasn't keen on staying there. Then again, it was a few days' trip back home.

"I took the liberty of renting you a room at the Rex before you'd arrived. The dark circles under your eyes that you've been sporting tell me that you're not getting enough sleep to keep running around like you do." Nick said.

"I suppose that may be true but aren't there any other places to stay? You didn't drop a ton of caps at that place, did you?" I asked. I was feeling quite grouchy and a bit emotional on top of the exhaustion, I guess.

"That hotel is the safest place to catch a rest right now. Follow me." Nick insisted.

I didn't know what it was about that man that made him enjoy herding me around. Must've been part of his programming. I was starting to feel like a sheep.

I trudged behind him, not looking forward to attempting sleep after revisiting the scene of my car crash. Maybe this hotel would have a bar. A little bit of forgetfulness in a bottle.

Nick got me checked into my room, and bid me goodnight. We would meet up in the morning near the shops at the entrance to Goodneighbor, and come up with a plan.

As soon as he was gone, I dumped my bag out on the bed, searching for my little leather drawstring pouch of caps. Score! I left my other crap where it fell, and went back downstairs in search of some sleep aids. I got the distinct feeling that Nick would not have approved of that choice.

In the lobby, I found a walking, clanking, and talking beer machine. Wonders never cease. I bought a beer, and shortly thereafter, found a chem dealer. I didn't know where to begin when it came to buying drugs. Never in my life did I think it would come to this. Maybe this was all just the product of a coma after the wreck, or simply a bad dream. In that case, drugs wouldn't matter.

The chem peddler offered advice as to which drug would give me the effect I was searching for. After some debate, I decided on a little red inhaler called Jet. Mr. Dealer said it would "slow everything down for a bit, make you feel like all the confusion won't matter as much". Sounded good to me. I tucked my purchases into my pocket, feeling a touch of shame. Although most folks on chems in this world made no effort to hide it nor truly needed to, I was used to my world where the "war on drugs" yet raged.

Once I was back in my room, I sat contemplating the Jet on my lap. The promise of a night of peace, and yet it felt dangerous. What would my Jay think of all this? Doing drugs in a shady hotel. This is what my life in the Commonwealth had come to.

I took a deep breath, and blew it out with a sigh. After giving the little inhaler a shake, I put it to my lips and took a hit. When Jay and I would have a few drinks at home after the kids were in bed, he used to call being buzzed having "swimmy head". That wonderful and warming wooziness hit me within moments of doing the Jet. I giggled at my thoughts of Jay and all the "W" words dancing through my mind.

No wonder there were plenty of people on drugs in the Commonwealth. This stuff was great! I took another hit off the inhaler. And another. And then I stopped caring so much about being stuck here, or the shitty bed, or the intrusive thoughts of every stripe that ran through my mind consistently.

One more deep suck on the Jet, and I stretched out on the bed. Sleep took me, and for once, it was dreamless.


	12. Arriving

Much like the morning after a good bender with my husband, waking the next day was no treat. My mouth tasted like someone had taken a shit in it, and for all I knew, maybe had. My head hurt, and the urge to take another hit of Jet was strong. I had one more of those incredible chems left. After much internal deliberation, I tucked it into my caps pouch instead.

I put myself back together as best I could, and headed down to the lobby. I stopped by the front desk, and asked if getting a warm bucket of water was a possibility. After shelling out more caps than I thought reasonable, I went back to my room and gave myself a sponge bath. Not quite the steaming hot shower I was used to, but at least I was clean and smelled better. The fragranced soap Dan had given me as a gift went a long way towards that goal.

Dan. Maybe it was the Jet after effects, but I couldn't help smiling at the thought of him. He seemed to be a very gentle and caring man. The week spent on the road with him had been pleasant despite the challenges of Commonwealth travel. And then there was that kiss. Why on Earth was I becoming attracted to a man who first off, had no nose, and second, was a ghoul of all things? I suppose it was his sweet hearted personality that did it for me. I shook my head to clear him from my thoughts.

I dressed in my road leathers-and-armor combo, gathered my belongings, and left the hotel. The fresh air seemed to clear my head. Jet may have made me feel good last night, but by the light of day it didn't seem worth it. Just as I was heading towards the shops to meet Nick, Dan exited the hotel.

"Hey! I didn't know you were still in town!" I said brightly, surprised and happy to see my traveling companion.

"Same goes for you. Headed back to Sanctuary?" Dan asked, sounding equally happy to see me.

"I'm not sure. I've gotta meet Nick Valentine by the shops. I'll know more after I talk to him." I said.

"Well if you are going back home, you're more than welcome to come with me, assuming I didn't already scare you off. After…you know…the kiss." he stammered.

"I didn't know ghouls could blush. It suits you." I said. I was immensely enjoying the little shy way he glanced down at his feet.

We parted ways, and I left to see Nick. I could hear the hustle and bustle of the customers long before I saw them. I took a peek into the first shop I passed.

 _A robot with tits? Guess they've thought of everything these days._ I thought.

I decided to ask Nick about it. Curiosity killed the cat, you know. He told me that K-LEO was an assaultron model, and that she had decided to set up as a weapons purveyor instead. I made a mental note to check out her stock.

"I'm thinking of heading back to Sanctuary, Nick. Unless you've got a lead for us to hunt down?" I asked.

"I've got some ideas. Checking in with Preston and his Minutemen could net us some chatter over their radio system. We'd be able to cast a wider net that way." Nick explained.

"In that case, I'll catch up with Dan and head home. I can tell Preston about your idea when I arrive." I said.

"From what I've heard, Nate brought Preston over to the Castle. That's certainly closer than Sanctuary. We can be there within the day." Nick said.

I sighed. Getting back home to my yellow house would have to wait. Part of me was actually disappointed to not have that time on the road with Dan. Guess I had enjoyed his company more than I'd thought.

Time to load up on road supplies. K-LEO welcomed my caps, and I welcomed the ammo and the new sight mod for the 10mm I still carried. I'd named my hunting rifle Helga just for shits and giggles, but the 10mm still felt more like Nate's than mine.

Leaving the town, we took a path that trailed around Goodneighbor, and out into the wastes. We followed the coast, and tried to stay out of the way of any major fighting. That didn't work out so well. Sneaking about isn't one of my strong suits.

"Would you take cover for once? And not behind a car!" Nick shouted as I tried to pop a raider in the face.

"Yeah, yeah. Gimme a moment here!" I yelled back.

The raider's head didn't take the hit but her shoulder sure did. She spun and took cover behind a car, the very thing Nick told me not to do. I ran behind a fallen concrete wall as Nick began unloading his gun into the car. Much to my surprise, the car and raider exploded in a mini mushroom cloud.

A group of about six raiders came screaming around the side of the row of abandoned destroyed shops and buildings we had been passing by. A supermutant and its nasty green hound were hot on their heels. I ran over to where Nick was crouched down and traded the 10mm for my Helga.

I lined up the lead raider in my rifle's scope. I whispered a little prayer, and squeezed off a shot. He doubled over, and tripped up two of his buddies. Nick took out the tangled raiders in quick succession.

The mutant hound was getting our scent and dodged through the remaining humans.

 _Shit_.

Its master wouldn't be far behind. I missed several shots at the hound before giving up on it as I reloaded. Nick's attention was held by the remaining raiders.

I scooted closer and nudged his arm. It made his shot go wild, and earned me an annoyed look from Nick.

"Mutant beastie!" I squeaked, gesturing with my rifle.

"So shoot the damn thing!" he replied.

"Fuck." I muttered.

I tried to target the swerving sack of slobber, and despite my best efforts I only winged it. Nick covered me while I jammed more bullets into Helga. I popped back up to see that the raiders and beast had been dispatched, and only the lumbering mutant remained. The freak was toting a fucking chain gun!

Nick ducked and began swiftly reloading. It was all up to me apparently. Without an entire settlement to join in the attack, this felt like a Commonwealth baptism by fire. Any illusions I had about the "live or die trying" nature of this version of Massachusetts were blown away the moment I saw that mutant spraying us with bullets.

I found myself wishing for the Jet I'd tucked away to help steady my racing heart and thoughts. I hunched down lower to the ground and waited for that whirring sound of the gun barrel to stop. As it slowed, I hopped up from my hiding spot. I tried to calm my shaking hands, and fired Helga at the mutant's arms. If I could get it to drop the gun, that could give us the edge we needed.

The clang of metal hitting pavement, and the guttural howl of the now disarmed freak told me that my last ditch effort had worked. Nick gave me that smile that said he was proud of me, and finished off the supermutant. A sudden silence fell over us. We were now the only living things remaining outside the shops.

Nick congratulated me on keeping my cool, and set off to gather up all the crap I had dropped in my initial panic when we were attacked. I jogged to catch up with him.

"Valentine! When the hell did cars go nuclear?" I asked, bent over with my hands on my knees, desperately trying to control my breathing after the shootout.

He looked up at me from where he had squatted down to pick up my rucksack.

"Right about after WWII. Hiroshima and Nagasaki changed the world. Nuclear power became commonplace after that." he said matter-of-factly.

I stopped dead in my tracks and stared wide eyed at Nick. This world knew the same devastation caused by loathing and science that mine did. Mankind's lust for dominance and bloodshed bound our timelines.

"The war happened in my world as well. We just…shied away from using nuclear energy extensively, I guess." I whispered in shock.

Nick left off from turning out a dead raider's pockets for anything useable. He brushed his hands off on his pants as he stood.

"You had Hitler too, eh? Looks like Piper's alternate universe theory just might hold water after all." he said, sounding mildly surprised at best. The synth was unflappable.

"My grandfather fought the Germans. We were always proud of him for taking up arms against evil." I said, not knowing if my words mattered or even made sense in Nick's version of the war.

"I bet Nate would be interested in hearing about the warfare of your world. He's a veteran of the Battle of Anchorage." Nick said.

"Anchorage? Alaska? Who fought there?!" I asked.

"The Chinese." Nick said, looking as if he were making mental note of every word I breathed.

"Chinese? Shit." I sighed.

He passed over my rucksack, now jammed full of looted gear. I shouldered it, and resolutely marched off in the direction we were originally headed. Nick fell in line with my steps. The quiet between us remained until we approached the Castle as sunset caressed the Commonwealth sky.


	13. Personalities

"Detective Valentine, sir! The General has been awaiting your arrival. Welcome back to the Castle." a voice cried from the ramparts above us.

Nick gave a tip of his hat, and we set out towards the huge gate opening ahead of us. What had once been a Revolutionary era fort was now the Minutemen headquarters. It certainly looked the part. Perched on every corner of the outer walls were the same artillery canons I'd seen at Sanctuary and other settlements I  
had traveled to by Dan's side. People toting laser muskets and other rifles walked among them, using the vantage to guard the perimeter. Flags hung from the ramparts, both what I presumed to be the American flag of this world, and the Minutemen banner. I could hear the unique waves of sound created by many people chattering at once coming from deep within the Castle.

Stepping into the courtyard beyond the protective walls, I first noticed a large radio tower that was manned and coordinated by three Minutemen. Others were delivering messages to and from the radio staff with a palpable sense of urgency.

 _Well that explains how Preston and Nate always knew what the rest of us were up to_. I thought.

People flowed all around us. I struggled to take it all in. The Castle was entirely self-sustaining, and provided for all the Minutemen's needs. Water pumps and a garden that any wastelander would be proud of occupied the rear of the courtyard. Signs indicating the locations of various vendors lined the walls. Small groups of the militiamen were loading up on provisions for carrying out their current orders. Nick led me towards the interior of the fort. It wasn't long before we came across a dining area, and within it, a group of people arguing.

Piper stood next to Nate, her arm around his waist as he gestured wildly to emphasize his words. Preston, sitting at the table and facing the two lovers, seemed to be simply listening to what was being said before making a judgement. Slightly behind Preston stood a slim young man in a leather duster that was probably a bit too large for him, wringing a hat in his hands as he received Nate's words like a boxer's jabs. And at a distance from the others, clad from the neck down in a full body set of futuristic armor, was a man with dark hair and a scowl to match.

None of them took notice as Nick and I entered the room. We stayed in the corner near the entryway, out of the way of whatever was about to hit the fan, so to speak. I whispered to Nick, asking if he knew who these other two men were.

"Small fry over there is MacCready. Kid's got more mouth than common sense. Tall, dark, and ugly is Paladin Danse. He's from the Brotherhood of Steel. Nate seems to like him, so we let him keep the walking tin can. If I were you, dollface, I'd stay far away from him though. The Brotherhood has a real issue with folks who aren't strictly human, and he'd probably see you in the same light as he does me." Nick explained.

"If he compares me to you, then I'd call that a real and true compliment, Nick." I said, turning the tables for once and winking at him.

Nick's laughter resonated in the sudden silence of the room. Guess we'd finally been noticed.

"Nick, Brenna. Good to see you've made it unscathed. We'll have a chance to speak privately once matters have been dealt with here." Nate said firmly and with absolutely no warmth in his voice.

I cast a questioning glance at Nick, wondering what had happened to the Nate who sat in my home, talking about food and family just a few weeks ago. The look on Nick's face was warning enough to not bring it up directly.

MacCready had jammed his hat back on his head, and looked as though he were ready to punch Nate in the mouth. Not to be outdone by the younger man, it seemed like Piper was the only thing holding Nate back. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife. I was dying to know what exactly had been going on before we had arrived.

"My word is final, Robert. End of discussion. You don't like my orders, feel free to take up in Goodneighbor again." Nate said with an air of command to MacCready. General indeed.

"You know what, Nate. You can go fu—fudge yourself." MacCready replied, making a disgusted noise and storming from the room.

"Well, this got interesting really fast." I said, falsely cheerful.

Nick shook his head, attempting to hide the smirk dancing along his lips. Everyone else looked either pissed off or horrified.

"Is this the freak you had discussed with me, Knight?" asked Danse, shooting me a look of distaste.

I knew Nick said I shouldn't let Danse get to me, but it hurt to know someone who had never met me felt I was worthy of such disgust. Before I could say a word, Nick saw the shock on my face and leapt to my defense.

"Hey Danse, watch your tongue around my lovely lady here. Hiding behind your power armor and insulting a woman is typical for your type. Afraid she's more man than you are?" Nick shot back.

As the paladin began to stomp forward, Piper jumped between man and synth.

"Hey hey now! There's no need to turn this into a front page worthy brawl, guys." she said, trying to bring some humor to an otherwise volatile situation.

"That's enough, you two. It ends here and now." Nate added, plainly expecting to be listened to immediately and without question.

Feeling lower than low at that moment, I took Nick's exposed metallic hand. His gentle squeeze told me that he knew I needed someone in my corner.

" _He's getting used to my 'touchy feely' ways. No more awkward jumping at my touch."_ I thought to myself.

"We will discuss this later, Nate. You may be a 'general' here, but you are still a Brotherhood knight under my watch." Danse growled before rattling the floor as he took his leave.

"Looks like we picked an exceptionally bad time to arrive." I said.

"Danse is always like that. He never takes that armor off, and acts like being BOS makes him better than the rest of us plebes." Piper said.

"Piece of shit, huh? That's accurate." I said dryly.

She laughed and said "Not **_P_** OS. **_B_** OS. Short for Brotherhood of Steel. They're the flashy assholes in the blimp. Maybe you've noticed that, Zombie?"

"Keep calling me Zombie and you'll never get that interview." I bitched.

"Ok now. Enough taking pot shots at each other. We're all on the same side." Preston said, finally speaking up from his spot at the table.

"That's debatable." added Nick.

Nate folded his arms and glared at the rest of us. Piper's cheeks flushed, apparently embarrassed by her man's cold behavior towards the group. She peeled Nate's arms apart. She stroked his hand, and whispered something in his ear. He visibly relaxed at her touch.

"Preston, we need some help and Nick thinks you're the man to see about it." I said, changing the subject from my apparent freak status, and who may or may not be siding together.

Preston motioned for Nick and I to join him at the table. We sat opposite him, but before we could go into our story, Nate interrupted.

"The two of you will come with me. Piper, stay with Preston and make sure MacCready doesn't come back for more of a fight. Or Danse, for that matter." he commanded.

"Sure thing, Blue. We'll be waiting." Piper replied, sounding put out with her lover's request.

Nick and I got up from our seats, and followed Nate deeper into the Castle. He stopped us in a private alcove, and minced no words.

"Rumor has it that you've been hunting for some medical personnel under a Vitruvian man emblem. Just how far do you intend on taking this investigation, Valentine?" he asked.

There was a very subtle air of menace in Nate's tone. What the hell had crawled up his ass and died? I almost asked him as much but had one of those rare moments when my better judgement took over, and I remained silent.

"Been back to the Institute recently, have you? What is it about that place that makes you forget who you are, Nate? As for Brenna's case, you oughta know I'll be seeing that through to the end. I certainly did for you." Nick replied brusquely.

Nate stared at Nick before replying with a curt "I see."

"C'mon, synth sleuth. Let's go back to Preston. I still wanna ask him about that radio lead." I said, tugging on Nick's arm. This was rapidly turning into an uncomfortable confrontation that I wanted no part of.

Nick came with me easily enough. Guess he wanted an out as well. We wound our way back to where we'd left the other two. I suddenly wanted far away from this place, and wondered if the information we sought was worth the price.

Preston met us in the hallway. He and Nick spoke quietly, about my case presumably. Piper left the mess hall, and motioned for me to follow her. We headed back out into the courtyard, and once we were far enough away from other people, she began talking.

"He's not always like this, you know. Blue, I mean. He really is a good man. He's just…got a lot on his plate right now. I wish you could see the side of him that I know." Piper said.

"No thanks. He's not exactly my type. I've never gone for brooding men." I snarked.

She rolled her eyes. "That's not what I meant, Zombie. Sorry, I mean Brenna. Besides, seems you go more for the, uh, unconventional men." she said.

"Unconventional, eh? I suppose so. Not that I'm actively looking for a man in my life. I am still married, you know. No matter how far away he is." I said.

I was suddenly missing my Jay a little more than I had been as of late. He always took on people who hurt me, and could comfort me like no other. What I wouldn't give to be folded into his embrace right then.

Piper broke the silence.

"How about coming back to Diamond City with me? You still owe me that interview." she offered.

Nick's voice came from behind us.

"That doesn't sound half bad, Piper. Once I get back to the agency, I've got a few things to tackle. Brenna, you can head back to Sanctuary after humoring our intrepid reporter. Hire a guard if you need to for your return trip home. I'll front the caps for you." he said.

Piper left to say her goodbyes to Nate. Nick and I went to the vendors to sell off the crap we'd picked off those raiders at the shop row. I lingered at the first aid station, and contemplated buying some chems. Maybe one of them would help calm the panic building inside me. I hate fighting. Always have. Ultimately, I held onto my caps. Preston would've been proud.

I stopped one of the Minutemen who was milling about, and asked where I could sleep for the night. She led me to one of several bunk rooms, and said that any bed was open. It was for the civilian travelers who frequented the Minutemen HQ. I chose a bottom bunk far from the door. All alone, I tried to enjoy the relative quiet. For a few hours, it was an exercise in futility. When sleep at last arrived, images of home and of the Commonwealth went swirling through my dreams.


	14. Questions, Questions

The trip back to Diamond City for Piper, Nick, and I was relatively uneventful. The usual small to medium sized scuffles with various wasteland assholes, as well as the better experience of meeting other travelers or traders along the way. After an entire day's sleep once we were back in the city, I was ready to face Piper's interview. This was sure to be mighty uncomfortable.

"So what can you tell the good people of the Commonwealth about your world? Let's start with your age." she asked, genuinely curious and skeptical at once.

"I'm 307." I quipped.

Piper groaned and asked for the year of my birth instead.

I heaved a sigh. "I was born in Bristol, Connecticut in 1981. I lived there with my husband and our three children. We were building a life and a future together. Up until a little over three months ago, that is." I said quietly.

"But what was it like? You know, back then? I get that you _think_ you're stuck in some whacked out alternate universe, but give me more to work with." Piper asked.

"It was normal. My kinda normal. I was going to college, and working. Jay stayed home and raised the kids. We had pets. I'll tell you one thing we definitely did not have. Fucking nuclear war. I'd love to know what dipshit over here thought that pressing the big red 'nuke them all to hell' button was a good idea." I grumbled, my annoyance at the interview coming through.

"So what else didn't you have? C'mon, Zombie. Expound for me." she said.

I took a moment to think before answering.

"There were no household robots. No nuclear powered cars. Certainly no Vaults. We had smartphones, and great coffee. Our war was with the Middle East. Radio stations were quickly becoming obsolete. Most people lived unbelievably average lives. We had…home." My words trailed off.

The next hour was occupied by Piper asking all manner of personal questions, and my halting answers. I didn't know what to say that wouldn't come across as completely insane. If she was going to publish this nonsense, did I truly want all those strangers thinking I was having a hardcore hallucination?

"Alright, I give up. We can always try again if you ever decide to let that cat drop your tongue." Piper said.

"Good. I don't have it in me to be informative right now. Too many memories at the moment." I said as I made my way to the door.

I had just enough time to catch Nick if I hurried up. We still hadn't had much of a chance to discuss what he saw in my trip through the Memory Den privately. The not knowing was beginning to eat away at me, and I didn't want to go back home to Sanctuary without addressing it. I nearly crashed into him as I turned the corner into the little hallway leading to his office.

"Nick! Just the synth I was hoping to see." I said, glad to have made it in time.

"What's on your mind, Brenna? I'm on my way out of town for a bit." he said.

Nick looked and sounded angry and sad at the same time. While I wondered why, it didn't seem to be the time to bug him.

"Using my given name? How unlike you. I was just popping by to find out the rest of what you saw at the Memory Den, that's all." I said.

"Another time. I've got to get a move on. When you get back to Sanctuary, check in with Preston. He's had a lead on the medics. I'll catch up with you when I can." he said, brushing past me.

I didn't try to follow him. It was painfully obvious that whatever was bothering him was none of my business. I didn't understand why, but it hurt a bit to have him treat me so differently than his typically flirtatious and helpful self. Oh well. It's not as though his whole life revolved around me, nor should it.

The next morning, I met with the three guards Nick had hired to escort me back to Sanctuary. They seemed nice enough, but more importantly, they were competent. We left that afternoon for home. It was a welcome change of pace to not have to do any fighting. Or in my case, cowering behind my partner.

Arriving back home in Sanctuary was…wonderful. Familiar faces, familiar sights. I guess I was definitely starting to believe I'd be here for the long haul. And that maybe it wouldn't be that bad if I did. I hated to admit it, but that had changed my outlook on a bunch of things. Piper had mentioned me going for unconventional men, and she was right. If I was stuck here forever, maybe moving on would be ok. Or hell, maybe not. I was mired in all the 'what ifs', and figured I'd have things sorted out better in the morning light. I spent the night in my own bed, and was grateful for it.

The next day, I rose early and went to check in with Preston. Passing by the trading and cooking area, I heard my name being called out.

"Heeeey! Brenna's back!"

 _Goddammit_.

It was Leo, and he was blitzed already.

"Hey yourself, Leo. How's it hanging?" I said, humoring him in the hopes that he'd leave me be.

"They're hanging great now." he snickered before going on in a singsong voice, "Someone wants to see yooouuuu!"

"Yeah, I know. Preston, right?" I answered dryly.

He just laughed liked it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard. Whatever. Leo was a weird one, even when sober. I continued heading towards the Complex, near where I suspected Preston was patrolling. Lost in my own thoughts, I bumped into someone and nearly fell flat on my ass until the mystery roadblock caught me.

"Whoa! Are you ok?" came the familiar gravelly voice.

"Dan! I'm so sorry I knocked into you! Thanks for the save though." I said, thoroughly embarrassed but glad to see him.

He held me as if I were made of glass that would shatter should I continue my fall to the ground. I steadied myself on his arms which were firmly wrapped around my waist. His inky eyes roamed from my own brown ones to my lips and back. Dan pulled me closer to him, and I made no effort to stop him. He slowly leaned in, closing the remaining distance between us. I knew he wanted to kiss me, and I had every intention of letting him.

"Brenna, there you are! I'm glad Nick got my message to you. I'm sending you out with…oh! Oh sorry. I'll just…" Preston said, interrupting our moment.

Dan and I jumped away from each other as if we were on fire. Both of us looked like kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Preston looked embarrassed, and abruptly turned on his heels.

"Well, that was awkward." I said to Dan.

"Yeah, little bit. Preston needs to borrow you, so I'll let you get to it." he said.

I caught his arm before he could leave.

"Please don't head out before I can see you again. I mean it." I told him, hoping he would stay.

"Alright. Anything for you." he said with a smile.

Dan gently caressed my cheek before returning to whatever it was he had intended before I crashed into him. The touch of his scarred fingers sent a shiver down my spine. Remembering Leo's childish words, I wondered if Dan had been on his way to see me. And then I promptly felt guilty. Yeah, I was trapped in what had definitely turned out to be an alternate universe in my not so humble opinion, but I had still found myself pleased at being in another man's arms. Suddenly my wedding ring felt like it weighed a hundred pounds.

I ran to catch Preston, and find out what errand he had set for me. Maybe the work would get the thoughts of kissing a ghoul out of my mind. As I caught up with the resident Minuteman, I saw the same guy Nate had yelled at from the Castle waiting by the entrance bridge to Sanctuary. MacCready had a sniper rifle slung casually over his shoulder while he talked with Preston.

"Hey Garvey! You had wanted to speak with me?" I asked, praying he wouldn't comment about the situation he'd found me in.

"Ah… yes. Brenna, this is MacCready. He's going to escort you to a place that may hold some answers to your predicament. He's been to Med-Tek Research before, and tells me it's been cleared out. All you have to do is look around for any of those emblems Nick had mentioned." Preston told me.

"Before Nate went full dickhe- jerkface, we'd been out there together. Definitely saw some of those Vita-whatever man symbols on the old lab coats laying around. Hope you've got some caps though, guys. My services don't come cheap." MacCready told us.

"I've got some at my house. I'll be right back!" I said, taking off at a run towards home.

I made it into my living room, and quickly threw on my armor over the jeans and blouse combo I was wearing. I grabbed Helga, and strapped my rucksack across my back after snatching my caps pouch out of it. As I began to head back to the men, I took the Jet from my pouch and tucked it into my pocket.

 _No need for them to see this side of me._ I thought.

As I was stepping from my home, I saw Dan waiting patiently near the fallen tree in my yard. I waved to him, directing him to come over. He smiled and heeded my request. I set my bag and gun down on the kitchen table. Once my front door was closed behind us, the privacy caused all sense of propriety to fly out of my head. I stepped lightly into his arms. His hands were warm on my back. We stood like that a moment, just caught up in each other's touch.

"I've got to leave for a few days. There's a place where I might…" I began.

Dan stopped my words with a kiss, soft and sensual. A moan involuntarily escaped me. I deepened the kiss, trailing my tongue along his. I felt his hands glide over my waist to my hips and pull me in firmly against him. I slowly reached up and let my fingers delicately trace the old radiation burns along his cheeks and down his neck. Dan pulled back, breathless and grinning broadly. His hat had been knocked from his head, revealing the sandy brown hair that remained. I couldn't help but laugh as I bent to pick up his fedora. Standing on tiptoes, I put it back in its accustomed place as I kissed his cheek.

"You've got an amazing way of saying goodbye." I said, smiling.

"I do my best. You didn't mind? I mean, I'm not usually so forward…" he said, suddenly shy.

"If I minded, I'd have never invited you in. Sometimes attraction just takes over a person's intentions. But what I was starting to say was true. With any luck, I'll be back in a few days, a week tops. Be here for me?" I asked.

He looked down at me, and nodded. I gave him a tight hug before gathering my things and opening my door again. We walked out together, and parted ways with a tender touch of our hands.

MacCready and Preston were waiting right where I'd left them. Hopefully, they wouldn't notice the flush on my cheeks. Shaking my caps pouch, I asked MacCready how many he needed for the round trip fare. Before he could give me a number, Preston eased the leather bag from my hands.

"Just how many caps do you have in here? This thing is heavier than it looks." he asked, just a tad suspiciously.

"I dunno, Preston. I don't really total them up. I just pay what I need to when I need to." I shrugged.

Frowning, Preston began counting my caps. I'd been a careful spender in recent weeks, and found many more caps along the way back to Sanctuary. After fifteen minutes or so of MacCready complaining over hanging around while Preston played banker, the caps were finally tallied.

"3,500 caps? Seriously? This trip suddenly became worth it!" MacCready practically sighed with anticipation.

Even I was astonished at how many caps I had accrued.

"You're not getting all of them, MacCready. Wanna say 500 for the whole trip?" Preston said in a tone that suggested the younger man should take the 500 and be happy about it.

"Argh. Fine, Garvey. Come on, moneybags. Let's go find the clues you're hoping for." MacCready said.


	15. Advanced Directives

"Now just hold your breath, and make the shot." MacCready whispered next to me.

I inhaled deeply, held it, and eased back the trigger. In the distance, the feral ghoul staggering around the parking lot experienced a sudden headache. Well, taking a bullet to the head will do that, I suppose. A triumphant grin spread across my face. The last week with MacCready had most certainly sharpened my shooting skills.

With an encouraging nod, he stood up from the prone position we'd been laying in as he taught me some of the beginning tricks to sniper shooting. I boosted myself up, and passed him back his rifle. I grabbed Helga and my pack from the nearby log they were leaning against.

"Thanks, MacCready. I'm starting to almost believe that I'll survive out here in the wastes one day." I said, looking down towards the large medical building we'd been picking off ferals from.

"I wouldn't go that far, moneybags. You're too…precious to wander on your own." he said, adding a snarky inflection to the word 'precious'.

I wrinkled my nose at him. "Precious, huh? Whatever gave you that idea? Was it the whole 'ew ew ew ew' the first time I saw you blow someone's head clean off?" I teased.

"That, and how prissy you can be about getting dirty. I've never met a wasteland woman who had an issue with not being able to bathe daily, Princess Moneybags." he replied, smirking.

"Alright alright, I'll own that. Let's get going down to Med-Tek before I lose my nerve." I replied.

Moments later, we stepped into the destroyed reception area of the research building. MacCready had told me that he had seen my mysterious Vitruvian man on a lower level than this one. We made our way uneventfully downwards, dispatching a few ferals along the way. MacCready suddenly held out an arm to slow me down, miming the one finger shushing motion. I stopped where I was, nodding that I got his message, and remained quiet.

The room down below us contained holding cells. I assumed they were for test subjects, and hoped they were not humans. I was probably wrong. The telltale sounds of zombie moans indicating a larger group of ferals issued from the rear cells. I looked to MacCready, and waited for his ok to continue on. He nodded towards Helga, silently telling me to get ready to shoot. Slowly and as quietly as possible, I got her off my shoulder and prepped. It was go time.

Just as we started for the stairs, the moans grew louder. They'd heard us.

"Crap." MacCready said, and pulled a grenade from his duster.

"Shit just got real, huh?" I whispered, fairly surprised to see this turn of events.

Explosives indoors seemed like a bad idea.

"Indeedy. Time to have some fun, Princess." he said, lobbing the live grenade down towards the feral noises.

It bounced off the bottom stair railing, and rolled to the side of the ferals who were now heading directly towards us. Before I could even count to three, the frag grenade went off with spectacular results. Of the six ferals stumbling our way, two lost arms, and another two had everything below their waist blown off and turned to bloody mush. It was the first time I'd seen a feral in that particular state continue crawling for its prey with mindless determination.

MacCready and I had worked out a routine for taking out any threat that came our way. He got the right side of us, and I got the left. Maybe odd, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I carefully picked off the crawling ferals, as MacCready shot the remaining four with expert precision. We headed downstairs, and I spotted a faint green light in my peripheral vision. I tapped MacCready's shoulder, and jerked a thumb in the direction of the light.

"Reload! Now! It's a glowing one!" he said in a tone that clearly negated any argument from me.

"What the hell is that?" I asked as I shoved more ammo into Helga.

"A more dangerous feral than you've dealt with before if you don't know what that is!" MacCready shouted as he ran back up the stairs to gain a better vantage point from which to shoot.

"Already cleared out he said. Should be easy he said. I'm gonna have words with Preston. Mean words. Four letter words." I growled to myself while I began firing at the fast moving green ghoul.

The skills Mac had taught me came in handy now. While I was certainly not a Commonwealth native who was accustomed to fighting for their survival, I was better by far than I had been upon waking in Nick's office months ago. I may have missed my head shot, but I did get several rounds into the abomination's legs. It slowed the thing down enough for me to take cover. From above me, MacCready finished it off.

I sat with my back against an overturned desk, and I suddenly felt quite nauseous. Mac made his way over to me, pulling what looked to be an iv bag with a golden fluid in it from his pack. Oh man.

He grabbed my arm, pushed up my sleeve, and quickly found a vein for the attached needle.

"Shit, Mac! Warn me next time!" I squawked.

"Do you want to get sicker or what? You need the Rad Away. Just sit there, alright?" he said, pushing my shoulders back as I attempted to get up.

I sat back, and glared at him. My agitation lasted only a few minutes though. The nausea faded away rapidly, thanks to the Rad Away. In short order, he gave me the ok to get back up and remove the iv bag. I looked around for a sharps container, simply out of habit built by my time of giving myself Enbrel injections. Mac raised an eyebrow, and told me to just toss it somewhere. I made a disgusted noise and threw it into the corner.

After getting back to my feet, we picked our way through the feral ghoul corpses. We finally reached a laboratory room in disarray. Counters full of old cracked beakers, flasks, and other science supplies. Skeletons clad in tattered lab coats lay scattered through the room. Dust reigned supreme over all.

I looked over to see MacCready bent over, going through some boxes to see if there was any decent loot. I called out to him, asking where he'd seen the Vitruvian man emblem. He pointed off to the right, and told me that there were a few skeletons with that on their remaining clothing.

Slowly, I started walking over towards where Mac had directed me. A strange anxiety crept through my guts. My fate lay upon what I could find on those long dead people. It was another link to finding my way back home. So why did I feel like simply walking away instead?

Finally, my approach was done. Before me were 5 skeletons in various positions on the floor and draped across a nearby desk. It was clear that I'd have to touch them if I were to search for clues other than the patch on their coats. Gross. I steeled myself and grasped the closest set of bones. The skeleton fell into its separate bones as I wrestled with it. At least getting the lab coat would be easier.

Coming face to face with the final thing I'd seen in my world here in this one shocked me far more than I expected. I sat down with it, just staring. This symbol had some sort of link between our worlds. This is what took me away from my family.

 _"_ _This is what brought you to Dan."_ whispered that little guilt ridden part of my mind.

Shut up, brain.

I checked through the pockets of this coat, and came up with nothing but disintegrated paper. Moving on to the next set of Vitruvian clothing, I noticed a small difference on this one. All the others, including the one I remembered from home, had an orange background on the patch. This one had a cerulean blue background. I snatched it up, feeling this one might hold the answer I was simultaneously looking for and dreaded.

Digging through the pockets, my fingers brushed across a plastic square. I pulled it out, and gave it a critical once over. The square was slightly bigger than a music cassette tape from my childhood. Like those, I could spot a set of reels for the tape. Then I noticed the writing across it:

 **Living will: Morely, Brenna.**

What the hell was my name doing on a tape from the future of a devastated timeline?


	16. New Life

**Author's** **Note:**

I want to apologize for the delay in posting a new chapter lately. It should come as no surprise that like Brenna, I live with complex partial epilepsy. Mine has still not gotten under control since my diagnosis last May. This past week I had a few seizures, and just didn't have it in me to write. Thank you all for your patience. I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Also, fair warning: there are some mild NSFW elements to this chapter. Further chapters may need to be rated M for sexual content.

* * *

There I sat amongst the remains of a dead civilization not my own, holding a tape with my name on it. MacCready walked over to see what I'd found.

"A holotape? That's seriously what we came for?" he asked incredulously.

"Holotape." I said, tasting the word and finding it lacking.

This little plastic square held terrifying possibilities. In my previous life, I'd had a living will and a set of advanced directives that dictated my wishes if the worst were to happen. Like say, a car crash. I was an organ donor, and had requested to be coded as a DNR. Do not resuscitate. Somewhere along the line, those orders were clearly ignored.

"We need to get out of here. I want to go home, Mac." I whispered.

"Home? Moneybags, I can't get you back to where ever you came from." he said, surprisingly gently.

"No, I want Sanctuary. I need my friends. Please? Let's go home." I asked.

Mac offered a hand to help me up from the macabre nest of bones. I shook my head, and boosted myself up. Tucking the holotape into my bag, I followed MacCready out of Med-Tek. I vowed to never return.

A week later, we crossed the footbridge into Sanctuary.

 _"_ _So much for being gone for just a few days. More like two weeks."_ I thought sourly.

My neighbor, Sandra, was the first to see me. She came running, a huge smile of relief on her face.

"Brenna! We were all worried about you! Dan told us you'd be back soon, so what happened?" she asked.

"Moneybags wanted the wasteland tour." MacCready told her, glancing over at me.

I could tell he didn't want to spill my beans, as it were. I was grateful for that. I'd tell everyone at home what I'd found in my own time. I wasn't even sure exactly what it contained yet.

Sandra hugged me tightly. It was so good to be back. I could see Sturges approaching from the house he shared with Mama Murphy and the Longs.

"Alright! Our neighborhood time traveler returns. We missed ya." he said.

"A great welcome home, guys. Thanks. I appreciate it." I told them, the truth of my words hitting me.

Home. The word now had dual meaning for me. A place I worked to return to, and a place I finally felt comfortable with.

Sandra walked me back to my yellow house, relieving MacCready of his weirdo sitting duties. She told me there was a note from Dan waiting for me inside, but her words barely registered. I needed to find a way to play that tape.

I closed the front door of my little home behind me, dropping my belongings on the kitchen table as I went. I rummaged through my bag and pulled the holotape out. I felt like I was walking through deep fog as I made my way into the living room. Once I was sitting on my threadbare couch, the tears came forth.

How was any of this even remotely possible? Perhaps more importantly, where would I find a way to play it? I turned to set the ominous little plastic tape on the table beside me when I noticed the neatly folded paper tucked partially beneath the vase I kept there. A smile touched my lips. That must be the note Dan had left.

Discarding the tape in favor of the words of the man I'd been falling for, I opened up the paper. The precise handwriting within confirmed that it was from Dan. I'd seen enough of the crude printing of most wastelanders to know it was him. Only someone from another dimension or whatever like myself, or the pre-war ghouls had decent handwriting these days.

 _"_ _Brenna,_

 _I'm sorry to break my promise to wait for you. It's been nearly a week, and I must return to my trade route. I know you understand._

 _I hope MacCready brings you safely back to me. Frankly, I've never much trusted him. Putting my love in his hands has left me worried._

 _I will return to Sanctuary as soon as I can, likely within a week or so. Now it's my turn to ask you to wait for me._

 _I hope you don't mind, but I left some of my personal items in your spare bedroom. A lightened load means a speedier return. I will see you soon, I promise._

 _Yours,_

 _Dan"_

A goofy little smile touched my face. His words whispered to me. " _My love."_ I wondered if he even realized he'd written that. Butterflies in the pit of my stomach swarmed around. It'd been nearly two decades since I'd last felt that particular sensation, the giddiness of new love. He said he'd be back within a week. Between my missing two weeks, and his one, that meant he'd be back any day now.

I've always been a bit of a nosey person, and knowing some of his personal stuff was sitting just feet away had my curiosity piqued. After some debate over invading Dan's privacy, I snuck off into my rarely used spare room.

In addition to a few other bulky items, the canvas bag I'd often seen strapped to his brahmin lay on the bed. I turned on the light in that room. Carefully undoing the straps, I opened his bag, and took a peek inside. Various papers, a few trinkets, and a picture. I slid out the photo, and just stared.

It was obviously a pre-war picture. It showed a group of people at a picnic. Women in sundresses, and the men in various shirts and slacks. I got the distinct impression that it was a company function. In the middle of the second row stood an adorable man with hazel eyes and a familiar shade of sandy brown hair. This was my Dan before he became a ghoul.

"Couldn't resist, huh?" came his voice softly from behind me.

I visibly startled, and whirled around. A guilty blush colored my cheeks. Dan came to my side, slipped his arm around me, and looked at his photo with me. I rested my head against his chest, and tapped the image.

"This is you." I said.

"What makes you think that?" he asked, sounding amused.

I turned to look at him, and slowly traced his lips.

"I'd recognize that smile anywhere." I whispered.

I knew things between us were developing rapidly, but I just couldn't bring myself to end it. The nights we'd spent either on the road or sitting around the fire pit with our Sanctuary friends had brought us closer together. Being with him made me feel young again, and it pained me to admit that I liked it.

"I looked much better back then. Not that I was ever handsome." he said, obviously in a self-depreciating mood.

"Whether human or ghoul, you're sexy in my eyes." I told him, almost wishing I could take my words back. Almost.

The initial look of shock on his face swiftly melted into one of deep affection. Before I could register it, his lips were on mine. I threw myself into his kiss, pressing my body against his. He slowly backed us up until we were sitting on the edge of the bed. I could feel my heart pounding as I guided his hand to my breast, my nipple stiffening beneath the heat of his palm. Suddenly, Dan jumped from the bed. I sat there, stunned. He must've seen the wounded look in my eyes.

"I…I just haven't… What I mean to say is that I'm sorry. I didn't intend on hurting you. I've gotta go." he stammered, practically running from my home.

"Dan! Wait up!" I shouted, taking off after him.

I found him outside in my yard. He was standing with his back turned to me, his face in his hands, seemingly embarrassed. I didn't know if I should go to him or let him be. I took a deep breath, and gently touched his shoulder.

"Hey. I don't know exactly what just happened in there, but I'm sorry if I've been reading your signals wrong. I never meant to push you into something you don't want." I quietly told him.

"It's not that I don't want you. God help me, I do. Badly." he mumbled.

He glanced down at me, and saw my pleased grin before I could hide it. He slipped his hand around mine, and guided me back into my home. We sat knee to knee on my couch.

"Have you heard the term 'smoothskin' before?" he asked.

I carefully considered before I answered that I hadn't heard it until that moment.

He sighed, and dropped his head back into his hands.

"It's a word used throughout the ghoul community to mean regular humans. Many use it as a derogatory term. Some don't. That said, there is a stigma to human-ghoul relationships between both groups. I want you to understand what you're getting yourself into if this continues." he said.

I could easily detect the sadness, and frustration in his voice. It almost sounded as though he didn't want to have whatever this was between us go any further. Shit.

"Dan…" I started.

"Brenna…" he began at the same time.

Our laughter filled the room. I leaned over and kissed him.

"I do want this, Dan. Whatever it is. Or will be. I care about you." I said.

"I feel the same. Just please take some time to think this over. There's no need to rush things. We've got plenty of time yet." he said while holding me tight.

I snuggled into his arms, enjoying his presence. We'd come a long way since I'd threatened to shoot him just months ago.

"Is that a holotape?" he asked, looking over my shoulder.

"Yeah. It's got my name on it. Literally. I just don't know how to play it." I told my would-be lover.

"Well that's an easy enough fix. I've got one on the brahmin. Let's go get it." he said.

We went back out to the trading post. Dan rummaged through his inventory, and came up with a metallic box that resembled a small old school boom box from my world. I slid my arm around his waist, and we went to have a seat by the fire with Sandra, and a few others. I had no idea what we were about to hear, but it was reassuring to have people I cared about surrounding me.

"Ready, love?" Dan asked.

"As I'll ever be." I replied, nervous but still inwardly swooning over his new name for me.

I passed over the holotape, and steeled myself for what was on it. Dan pulled me close to comfort me while we listened. He clicked the tape home in the player, and my voice issued from its speakers.

First came a muffled man's voice in the background:

 _"_ _Are you ready, Ms. Morley?"_

And then a woman who sounded eerily like me:

 _"_ _This recording contains my living will. I authorize it and Dr. William Hoffman acts as witness. On this day, March 31, 1999, I have turned 18 years of age. I am now legally empowered to make the decisions therein._

 _In the event of my permanent impairment or death, I release my physical body to any descendants of blood relation I leave behind with the following exemptions: I have chosen to release my brain and all its attendant memories and personality traits, my respiratory system, and my cardiovascular system to the Vitruvian Society._

 _I entrust these exemptions to the Society in full knowledge of the potential uses by this organization. I release the Society from all indemnity, both from myself and any of my future descendants._

A dry chuckle came from the woman:

 _"_ _Future. Pffft."_

The man spoke up, his tone one of warning:

 _"_ _Ms. Morley…"_

The woman sighed and continued:

 _"_ _I, Brenna Jane Morley, conclude this recording. I claim full authorization as a subject of the Vitruvian Society."_

 _"_ _Are we done here?"_

Then a click and the holotape was finished.

"What the flying fuck was that?" I said in complete shock.

I'd never been quite as glad to see equally disconcerted faces surrounding me, or to be encircled in the arms of a man I love.


	17. My Best Subject

A/N:

Thank you once again for your patience, dear readers. I've finally come across the plague of...writer's block! It's finally breaking up but whew! This chapter is my longest yet, and each once form here out runs the risk of being lengthy.

I'm starting to introduce more characters of my own creation. Brenna's story runs concurrently to the main quest lines of the Sole Survivor. Brenna has time spent with the main characters, but builds a life with the secondaries. There's quite a bit of dialogue in this chapter to help show the personality of these new folks in the world. This is Bethesda's sandbox. I just get the fun of playing in it.

* * *

Dan ejected the holotape, and set it on my lap. He gave me a look that said he wanted to give more comfort than would be prudent in present company.

"That was you. Really you. Brenna, what _is_ the Vitruvian Society?" Sandra asked, the shock plain in her voice and face.

"I swear I have no idea. None whatsoever. I've never recorded any such thing. Her birthday is the same as mine. Her name too. But it's not me. All of my information was attached to my driver's license. Not a recorded message." I replied.

I knew my answer likely made no sense. What wastelander held a license of any sort these days? And the birthday? Even Dan's didn't come close to mine.

"Kid, the road towards your answers just started. I can see it…" Mama Murphy wheezed from her accustomed place opposite us.

Before I could start in on her, Dan halted my bitter reply. He, of all people, knew about my dislike of the woman. His arms tightened around me, his breath warm in my ear.

"Just ignore her, love. We'll figure this out together." came his whisper.

"I can't think right now, Dan. I need some sleep." I said softly.

We stood and told our companions – Sandra, Leo, Melissa and Oliver, even Mama Murphy – that we were heading home for the evening to collect ourselves. We could come together as a community in the morning to work on some answers. Everyone bid us goodnight, or gave me reassuring hugs.

I stopped Dan at the threshold of my home. A large part of me desperately wanted his company. The thought of being alone in the night after hearing that phantom version of myself sent icy shivers through me. But the small part of myself that carried the guilt of infidelity screamed out to not let my mind start wanting him in my home… in my bed… right now.

I needed to make a choice. Would I give my heart over to someone else, or hold onto the hope of returning to Jay?

All these thoughts swirling in my mind were halted by the rough texture of Dan's hands tenderly cupping both of my cheeks. I looked up into his black eyes, and asked him to stay with me. He reached around me, and turned the knob of my front door. We went directly to my living room, and sat on my couch.

"Should we talk… about this audio version of you? I'm here if you need me." he said, the caring so obvious in his voice.

"Please just hold me tonight. I don't think I can be alone right now." I pleaded.

The look that crossed Dan's face surprised me. I certainly did not expect shock at being invited to stay for the night.

"I think that might be a bad idea, love. I don't have much in the way of self-control today. Not after…earlier." he gulped.

He was really taking this whole "think about it" thing seriously. I'd never met a man who stood by his word quite like he did.

"If you think that's best, I won't push you. You should know that our differences truly do not bother me. Preston told me you're a good man right from the start, and I believe that now." I said.

"It's just that, for me, it's important to take things slow. I want to… savor each moment with you." he stammered, clearly uncomfortable.

I sighed, and gave him a kiss goodnight. It sucked to see him go, but I suppose I could see his point. I went to the kitchen to grab some of my gear to work on and take my mind off of Dan leaving, the holotape recording of this mystery woman, all of it. Pushing my caps pouch out of the way, I remembered the Jet. Tonight felt like the right one to give in to that particular indulgence.

I dug the inhaler out of the little interior hidden pocket of my rucksack where I kept a few important things such as spare stimpacks. A few hits of the inhaler, and I was in a better place emotionally. Maybe Mama Murphy was onto something. I knew it was time to take a pass on these sorts of chems though. Goddess knows I never wanted to end up like her or Leo. Hopefully a night of decent sleep would help.

The next morning I hunted down Sturges to see if he knew how to bolster my original leather armor. A little scavenging and hammering later, I had some padded lining, and metal plates added to my armor. It might not have been the suit of medieval knight's wear that I'd dreamed of, but it would work out in the Commonwealth.  
I tinkered with Helga a bit, adding an expanded ammo capacity to her. It would probably be time to try out some of the other available weapons, but that would have to wait. My hunting rifle hadn't let me down yet.

I'd decided it was time to hit the wastes on my own, and hunt down the next piece to identifying this mystery woman on the tape. Despite all the reasons to believe otherwise, I knew it wasn't me. Her words kept echoing in my mind, and one thing stood out above all others. She had said she was a _subject_ of this Vitruvian Society. Not an employee. Not a member, or customer, or whatever. A subject. That just could not be a good thing.

Before I left, I went home to grab my rucksack, as much ammo as I could get my dirty little paws on, and the few stimpacks I had kicking around. Armored and armed, pack as full as I could reasonably manage, and with more cranky attitude than any one woman deserved to have, I resolutely marched out of my house.

I heard a door slam nearby. I had a bad feeling that I knew who it was.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Sandra shouted from her front door.

"Uh, ok?" I replied.

She jogged over to me, armored as well, and carrying her own pack and guns. Shit. I just knew she wanted to tag along. I felt as though I needed to face this issue on my own. I hadn't heard a damn thing from Nick in about 3 weeks, and I was fairly certain that Dan had left Sanctuary as soon as he fled from my home the night before; I know I felt like hiding away after his rejection the previous night. The only two men in this world that I trusted completely were gone. I refused to drag more people into this.

"Don't even try to tell me I'm not allowed to come with you. I know you're probably ready to tackle the Commonwealth alone, but this? You've got a doppelgänger out there, and I bet she's nothing but trouble. You need a friend, now more than ever." she paused, "Can I be honest with you about something, woman to woman?" she asked.

 _Oh man_.

"I guess so. Not like anything I say will stop you." I said, chuckling at her determination. Then I realized just how much I sounded like Holotape Woman.

Sandra took a deep breath, and said "What's up with you and Dan? I mean, we all noticed the way you touched each other around the fire last night. I think I may have been the only one close enough to hear it, unless Mama Murphy suddenly has The Sound as well as The Sight, but he called you 'love'. Time to 'fess up."

I sighed. Did I really want to have this conversation right now? Still, Sandra was right. I needed a friend.

"I don't know what's going on between me and him. I'm pretty sure we both care about the other deeply. But he pretty much ran away from me yesterday when I… ummm... encouraged more than just some passionate kisses." I told her, blushing horrifically.

Her eyes were as wide as saucers.

"You did what now?!" she gasped.

"C'mon! You heard me perfectly well. And I know you saw us outside in the yard after he ran out." I said, wishing I'd never answered her honestly in the first place.

She sighed and shook her head.

"Didn't realize that pre-war, sex was pretty much never initiated by the woman, and certainly not encouraged between unmarried folks, did ya?" she asked.

"What on earth does that have to do with this?" I grumped.

"Dan is a _pre-war_ man. Remember now?" she said as though I were completely stupid.

To be fair, in this case I was. It never occurred to me that Dan would have values so different than mine. That explained more about his behavior.

"Alright, message received. Can we just go now?" I sighed.

"Sure. Where to?" she asked brightly.

"Anywhere but here." I said, wanting to be far away from the place that held all my romantic mistakes.

As we neared the bridge to Red Rocket, we both heard the newlyweds, Melissa and Oliver Stryker, talking to someone. That someone was apparently Dan.

Mel and Ollie had married in Diamond City about a month before I arrived in this world. Both in their mid-twenties, and still starry eyed in love, they were a force for good in the Commonwealth. Though not officially Minutemen, they took on small rescue missions for the group whenever discretion was needed. It looked like poor Dan was the subject of their latest operation.

"Will you just think about it? About her?" Mel asked, sounding exasperated.

Dan heaved a sigh, and replied "She's on my mind more than enough already, thank you very much."

Sandra couldn't help but insert herself into the interrogation.

"Ooh ooh, is it me? Please say it's me Daniel's thinking of!" she squealed, adding in a fake swoon for good measure.

I facepalmed, and decided against jumping in as well. I knew Dan had mentioned that he greatly disliked anyone using anything other than the shortened form of his given name, unless it was someone he felt exceptionally close to. Even I hadn't had the confidence to call him Daniel yet.

"Now this should be good." said Ollie with immense satisfaction in his voice. He was always one for explosions, both from weapons and emotions.

Dan glared at Sandra, letting his angry gaze be enough warning without having to open his mouth. I'd never seen him in such a state. I grabbed Sandra by the arm, and began dragging her away.

"C'mon _Sandy_! Let's get moving." I growled at her, hoping she'd get the point. She hated her nickname as much as Dan hated his given name.

Sandra pouted all the way up to Red Rocket, miffed that I ruined her jester routine with Dan. It wasn't long until we were in Concord proper. Just beyond the Museum of Freedom, I heard rapidly approaching footsteps behind us. Yanking Helga out, I spun around and swiftly took aim. Zeroing in on the source of the danger felt smoother since my time with MacCready.

It's a damn good thing I didn't pull the trigger. Sanctuary's arguing threesome came hauling ass up the road. Dan and the Stryker couple were trying to catch up with us. Sandra tugged on the back of the road leathers beneath my armor straps and buckles. I halted, and frankly, didn't know how to feel about Dan's approach. I guess a group of five would fare better in the Commonwealth than two. Yet with Dan among that number, any possibility of hiding my feelings for him were shot to shit. Then again, maybe he'd had a change of heart about the ambiguity of our relationship.

"For the love of Atom, woman! Are you crazy?! Don't aim unless you plan on killing!" Oliver shouted at me.

Despite the younger man's lead on him, Dan quickly closed the distance, and snagged Ollie's shirt, yanking him violently back.

"Do not ever speak to her that way again. Understand?" his normal gravelly voice turned to a low growl from his anger.

"Alright, man. Alright. Gonna let me go now?" Oliver asked, holding his hands up in surrender.

Dan let him go with a little shove. I caught his eye, and I knew he could tell I wanted him alone for a moment just by the shock at his behavior etched in my eyes. I stomped over, grabbed Dan's arm, and practically dragged him away from the little group that had formed behind us.

"What the hell was that all about?! I've never seen you like this, Dan." I demanded, fists on my hips.

His eyes softened as he took me in. He swept me into his arms, burying his face in the top of my head and breathing in the scent of my hair. I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged back for all I was worth.

"I let them get to me when I shouldn't have. Mel had some uncomfortable questions and…demands for me earlier, as you no doubt figured out by now. I'm sorry you saw me like that." Dan told me.

I didn't need to be looking up into his eyes to know that he was shamefaced at this particular moment. I sighed, and pulled out of his arms just enough to see him anyway.

"You don't have to tell me what words were exchanged. But you do owe Ollie an apology. He didn't say anything but the truth. Frankly, you all startled me so much that I was a hair's breadth away from shooting. I'm…feeling edgy today, I guess." I said while reaching up to touch his cheek.

Dan nodded as he leaned into my touch, and we made our way back to the others. Dan took Oliver aside, and when they returned, both men looked to be on better terms. Facing the three glaring women before them, they likely realized that getting along was their only option.

I told the group that had assembled before me that I was headed out in an attempt to find more answers to the holotape we'd heard the night before. They were welcome to turn back home right now, but if they came along, I was in charge without question. Luckily for me, they had no idea that I hadn't the first clue as to what I was doing.

To my surprise, everyone stayed. The Strykers tossed out some ideas for places to investigate. Amongst them were police stations. If this copy of me was a "subject" then maybe her parents reported her missing at some point prior to the recording we heard. That certainly sounded plausible to me. Until Dan mentioned that realistically, any records prior to the Great War might be quite scarce.

Everyone in our little group had gear and guns, so off we went. We began our Commonwealth stroll towards the station closest to Sanctuary. The computers there seemed entirely trashed. Mel and I were working on cracking the encryption on the only remaining intact terminal. We largely ignored all the crashing sounds coming from the next room because we assumed it was the other three in our band of merrily awkward travelers. It wasn't until Oliver cried out in pain that we understood we were under attack.

"Ollie! I'm coming, babe!" Mel shrieked.

"Dan? Where are you?!" I cried.

We readied our weapons and ran towards our men, and our friend. Mel checked the straps of her grenade belt, and gave me a meaningful look. That was frankly impressive, given the situation. I nodded, and accepted the small bundle of frags. Mel hurdled the overturned desks, and tossed her first grenade into the attackers with surprising grace. Not to be outdone, I slid on the old papers that littered the floor and crashed into the same desk. I certainly have my own battle style.

I heard Ollie shouting creative obscenities in between firing his pistols at whatever opponent they had encountered, then flopping down behind a covering table. His fluency in cussing folks out never failed to amaze me. Ever more inventive streams of animal-, mothers-, and teammate- involved curses came from the downed man.

Right then Mel's first frag blew, and new shouts were added to the mix. I picked my sorry ass up off the ground, and peered over the desk. The dickhead in a metal case from the Castle was at the lead of a force of Brotherhood soldiers. My own were giving as good as they got, and I must admit I was proud of them. Mel and Ollie always loved a fight, Sandra had a wild streak that matched the Strykers' sense of humor, and Dan let his fright for my safety explode into anger at these people shooting at us. Ollie was being helped up by his wife, and was obviously injured.

From behind my desk, I yelled "Danse! Knock it off, asshole!"

"I should've known it was you." Danse growled while motioning for his people to stand down.

I ran to the safety of Dan's arms. He kissed me as though it were the last time he'd ever see me. Sandra flitted between all of us, squeezing each to make sure we were all alive. Ollie groaned in pain, and Mel held him tightly.

Danse glared at each of us in turn as he said "It's no surprise that you run with a pair of 'covert' lunatics, a woman of questionable morals, and an abomination like you."

At his words, Melissa and Oliver struck proud poses, Sandra kissed both of her middle fingers before flipping Danse off, and Dan held me protectively.

'My Dan is not an 'abomination', Danse. You could do with a few lessons from him on how to be a better person." I retorted.

A woman with the Brotherhood, who was dressed differently than the rest in a red long sleeved shirt, brown combat vest, and goggles atop her head, stepped forward and spoke privately with Danse. Although we couldn't hear what was said due to our distance from them, I guessed it did not sit well with the uptight soldier boy.

"Scribe Haylen has reminded me why Elder Maxson sent us out to Sanctuary to find you and bring you to the Prydwyn regardless of any protestations from you, Ms. _Morley_." Danse said, practically sneering out my last name.

Sandra whispered for all of us to sit behind the flipped table. A little uncertain, we complied.

"I don't like how he emphasized your name, Brenna. This can't end well." Sandra said.

"Me either." added Dan.

Mel and Ollie shared a look. Ollie's shoulder that had been shot was now tied up with what had once been my green shirt. Fighting our way out wouldn't work and we all knew it.

"We know this Elder of theirs. They'd suck him off without hesitation if he commanded it." Mel informed us.

Ollie dropped a wink at our group, and stage whispered from where we all hid "So why do think this molerat fucker sent these shit-filled tin cans to drag us back to their floating sex castle?".

I had to muffle my laughter against Dan's neck. Despite the situation we'd found ourselves in, I couldn't help but notice two things. The first was that being this emotionally as well as physically close to him in front of everyone and not hiding it felt wonderful. The second was that as soon as the touch of my lips hit his neck, Dan froze up.

Now it seemed to be Sandra's turn to let loose some of the energy she'd been holding back.

"It's been so long since I've last had Maxson on his knees, trying to teach him once again that ratties have got _nothing_ on a live woman. Shame that's harder than prying him away from that feral he's got locked in his quarters. Says he likes it's squirms and bites better than a molerat's." she said with a longing sigh.

"THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH OF YOUR CHILDISH INSULTS FOR TODAY!" Danse roared.

"Nerve. Struck." Mel said to us with great satisfaction.


	18. Records

A/N:

This is what I've thought of as a transitional chapter. While nothing terribly dramatic happens, it does bring the characters to the next scene in the upcoming chapter without too much to leave you, dear reader, to sort out as time goes on in this little tale. Have a great weekend, and enjoy!

* * *

As we were being siphoned from the police station, I wondered what would happen to us once we made it to the Prydwyn. Each of us had our very own Brotherhood bully in power armor "escorting" us. Both Oliver and Melissa refused to be separated, and neither would Dan and I. While the people guarding us allowed it, they made many snide remarks about Dan, and the affection we showed each other. Ultimately we were all split apart except for Melissa and Oliver.

It looked like this Scribe Haylen woman was also a medic. We didn't realize how blood soaked Ollie was until we were out in the light of day. Before we had gone into the police station, I had removed parts of my armor that were chafing against my arms. I should've thought ahead about breaking the new padding in a bit before fleeing Sanctuary. On the other hand, at least that made it easier to give Oliver the makeshift tourniquet. Thankfully, we were allowed to grab our packs before being unceremoniously dragged from the building. I had spare clothes in mine, and needed a new shirt after using the one I'd been wearing to patch up Ollie's arm.

Haylen had both Strykers with her while she removed the bullet and stitched up Oliver. Sandra and Dan had been pulled aside for questioning about why we were at the station in the first place. I didn't know why, but I was given free rein to wander where ever I chose within the perimeter that had been set by the Brotherhood of Steel. I wanted to make sure Ollie was okay before going back to Dan and Sandra. He waved me off, saying that his shoulder would be all better once his wife "kissed his boo-boo". I just shook my head. That was Ollie in a nutshell.

Before donning a clean shirt, I stretched and twisted to better see the bruise that I knew was forming on my left side after my crash into the desk. I glanced over at the other two members of my team, and saw Dan watching me. His eyes took in my abdomen, and slowly moved up to my breasts. It was then that I truly remembered that I was topless and standing there in my bra and jeans with my armor heaped in a pile at my feet. When our eyes finally met, I saw something in his that I'd never seen before. The darkness of his gaze held a hunger for me that sent waves of delicious heat through my body. I fully expected him to look away in embarrassment, but his eyes remained locked with mine.

Mel noticed this whole…I dunno, exchange…between Dan and I. Her laughter turned into a snort, and Ollie took a playful swat at her behind.

"Looks like our little talk with him sank in. Things might be a lot easier for you from now on, Brenna." Mel said with a smirk.

"We do good work." Ollie agreed with his wife.

"You both are absolutely incorrigible. What the hell did you say to him?" I asked while yanking a blue blouse over my head.

They just grinned in reply.

"I give up." I said, walking away.

Dan had been cornered by some Brotherhood woman in regular military looking armor. She kept asking him about why he felt the need to protect me, and if it was borne out of any information we had discovered. Finally his frustration at the woman exploded just as I was reaching his side.

"Because I love her! Is that enough for you?" he shouted.

She made a noise of disgust, and said "Of course you do. It's fitting that two freaks would fall for each other. If you have no further information, I have no use for you."

"Dan? Did you mean that?" I asked quietly.

He looked down at me with an expression of anticipation, and nodded his affirmation. I'm sure he worried about what my reaction would be.

"I love you too." I simply said.

Dan reached out for me, and I gladly went to him. He ran his fingers through my hair while he kissed me deeply. I keenly felt the barely restrained desire in his touch. We held tightly to each other, just waiting to be pulled apart by some jackass from the Brotherhood. Thankfully, that moment never came.

What a crazy day this had turned out to be. A shootout with these assholes, being captured, and now Dan's profession of his love. I'd take the good along with the bad in this case.

The clank of power armor that somehow managed to sound angry came from behind us. I didn't bother turning around. It was no doubt Danse. We braced ourselves for his further orders, and some show of bigotry regarding our relationship. Dan had warned me about this from the beginning but seeing it in action still turned my stomach.

"Morley. Nate has said that you believe you are from some other world. Is that truly what you think has happened to you?" came Danse's voice.

"Yeah. I know I ended up here against my will. Exactly how or by whom I still don't understand." I said.

"But we're working on it." Dan added.

Sandra joined us, giving brief hugs to both Dan and I. Once the Strykers were able to leave their guard, we'd all be back together. Then we'd be able to leave and continue our search for answers.

A guy who couldn't have been more than 20 years old marched up to Danse. He was obviously the messenger of the bunch.

"Paladin Danse, I've had word from Elder Maxson. Vertibird support will arrive shortly." said a young man who looked like the military version of an unpaid intern.

Danse nodded and dismissed the intern-soldier.

"What on earth is a vertibird?" I asked as I looked at Sandra and Dan.

"You'll see shortly." Danse said, his voice full of pride.

The three of us were sent over to join Melissa and Oliver. For the first time since arriving in this world, I felt like I was part of it instead of simply a bystander. Having friends I cared for, and a man I loved had become an anchor. Now I was truly split between two worlds. It took nearly five months to get to this point, and in some ways, I was afraid. This is what I had dreaded. Finding reasons to stay instead of remembering all the reasons I needed to leave. My husband and our children sometimes felt like a far off dream, or an old picture from an earlier age. For all the fear that my heart harbored in that moment, the love I'd found in this world sang over it.

As these thoughts flew through my mind, a distant rumble that reminded me of home sounded. Back in Connecticut, we had lived under the flight path to Bradley International Airport. Not a day went by without some sort of air travel noise in the background of our lives. There was a helicopter approaching. I just knew it.

The five of us looked up to watch the three "vertibirds" begin to land at the far edge of the destroyed parking lot. So much for making good on our escape. It was safe to assume that Danse had every intention of flying us to the Prydwyn.

Scribe Haylen approached us as the rest of the Brotherhood soldiers packed up into the first two odd helicopters. She and Danse spoke privately while keeping a close eye on us. After a few minutes, Haylen nodded briefly and went to board the final vertibird. Danse clanked over to our little band of prisoners.

"I expect that none of you will cause any trouble. Elder Maxson wants to speak to each of you about any findings you've discovered about Ms. Morley. We have our own information to share if you cooperate. _Only_ if you cooperate." he directed us.

"Why can we never just have a quiet night out?" whined Sandra.

"This is exactly why we can't have nice things." Mel said with a grin.

"Please don't cause trouble, guys. This looks bad enough as it is." I asked of the group.

The final remaining Brotherhood soldier other than Danse and Haylen looked us over as he herded us towards the idling vertibird.

"And keep your pet ghoul on a tight leash." he said flippantly.

I broke from my friends, and ran to try my best at punching this asshole. Ollie and Dan restrained me.

"You fucking fuck! Pet ghoul my ass." I shrieked, letting the obscenities flow.

Dan firmly wrapped his arms around me, and pressed his lips to my ear.

"I warned you, love. Just let it go. This smallminded bastard will never understand." he urged.

"How dare he! What we have is…" I couldn't finish my thoughts, at least not without some privacy.

Once we were all boarded on the aircraft, Danse got on the radio to alert Elder Maxson of our departure from the police station. The greasy waves of nausea that hit my stomach at liftoff left me sitting firmly where I had been put. I closed my eyes, rested my head on Dan's shoulder, and ignored the Commonwealth far below us. This is why I never flew anywhere back in Connecticut. Airsickness is a real bitch.

It wasn't long before I felt a poke to my arm. I cracked an eye open, and quickly closed it.

"You've got to see this! What a view!" Sandra said, obviously awestruck.

Dan kissed me softly, easing the way I startled in his arms as the vertibird banked to our right. Finally giving in to curiosity, I joined my friends in peering out the windows and open entry to the vertibird.

We were clearly headed for the docking area of the Prydwyn. Despite my conflicting feelings over what loomed ahead of us, I found myself feeling some of Sandra's excitement. The zeppelin before us was indeed impressive by any standard, but more so by the Commonwealth's. Our vertibird was secured in the hangar, and our escort detail began exiting onto the Prydwyn. Ollie hopped down first, then laughed as Mel shouted "Catch me!" and jumped into his arms. Sandra lowered herself off the vertibird on her butt, complaining about the sudden fear of heights she had developed. Dan was next, and reached up to help me down. His hands on my waist, and mine on his shoulders made the leap from the vertibird easy. Danse and Scribe Haylen jumped down with the carelessness built from long habit.

Danse took the lead, and we were marched up the nearby flight of stairs.

 _"_ _Into the belly of the beast."_ I thought as the door clanged shut behind us.


	19. Danse With The Devil

The first thing that struck me as we stood within the Prydwyn was the hollow sounds of life clapping and echoing off the metal cocoon surrounding us all. There must be far more Brotherhood personnel here than I'd anticipated. We were well and truly caught. Damn.

Three people stood at the helm of the Prydwyn. Their backs were to us as they gazed out over the Commonwealth. I recognized one immediately. Mayor Hancock stood next to the far right of the other two men, his attention casually switching to the table of alcohol bottles instead of the view before him. He saw us enter the room, and a smartass grin spread across his face.

"Danny-boy! Got yourself a pretty little smoothskin girlfriend? Knew you had it in you." Hancock said, making his way towards us.

I was fairly certain that the mayor was poking fun at us, having remembered our first meeting in Goodneighbor. I doubt he'd be the kind of man to use "smoothskin" maliciously on a stranger. While I was debating over what sort of response this warranted, Sandra threw her arms around Dan and I .

"These two make the cutest couple, don't you think? You should see how they make puppy dog eyes at each other from across a crowded room." she squealed.

"Really? I somehow can't see that." said Hancock, sounding incredulous.

Dan pulled me closer to him, and said to all within earshot, including the Brotherhood idiots, "Better believe it. I'm one lucky man."

Feeling bold, I pulled him down into a kiss that was absolutely exaggerated for the benefit of those around us rather than our own pleasure. Marking our territories, I suppose. Or perhaps simply showing the Brotherhood people around us that we had absolutely no fucks to give about their thoughts of us. Hancock belted out a hearty laugh, and congratulated us on finding love in a harsh world.

The commotion caused the other two to turn their attention to us. Nate was in metal plate armor, and looked far more intimidating than when we'd last seen each other. A broad smile spread across his lips. Unless one were closely observing, there's no way you'd notice that the smile never touched his eyes. I liked this guy less and less each time we met.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Dan was thrilled to see Nate. It was only at my man's boisterous greeting that a genuine smile was elicited from Nate.

"Daniel! It's great to see you again!" Nate said, shaking Dan's hand.

" _He called him Daniel? I'm not sure I like this._ " I thought.

"I'd like you to meet my… my lady friend. Brenna, this is Nate. We met before the Great War. I think you'll like each other." Dan said, clearly expecting me to shake Nate's hand.

"We'd actually met back in Diamond City on my second day here. Good to see you again, Nate." I lied.

Nate refused to extend his hand to my waiting one.

"Preston said that she nearly shot you on sight at Sanctuary, Daniel. Do you think it's wise to be getting involved with her?" Nate said to him.

I think Dan must have felt my muscles tense up beneath his fingertips as I bristled at Nate's words. He began to stroke little circles around my shoulders where his hands rested. The man sure knew instinctively how to soothe me already.

"I like to think that _my_ Dan and I have come a long way since that night. I'm still thoroughly ashamed of my behavior towards him then, and he knows this." I nearly growled at Nate.

"Enough grandstanding. We have business to attend to." commanded the man next to Nate.

He was wearing a leather coat with some sort of fur collar, and clearly was this Elder Maxson character who was on everyone's lips back at the police station. I could barely suppress the chuckle at the memory of Ollie's insults.

 _"_ _Molerat fucker. Yup."_ I thought.

"Paladin Danse, report. Where you able to secure any of the items we had sent you to retrieve?" Maxson asked Danse.

Danse glanced briefly at me before telling his boss about a few items his patrol had brought back to the Prydwyn. That's when we found out the truth.

"And the terminals? Were they destroyed?" Maxson spoke quiet authority.

"You bastards. We needed that information!" Melissa hissed.

"The data they contained was saved. It is, however, far too dangerous for civilians of the Commonwealth to have free access to." the Elder shot back.

"I find that incredibly difficult to believe. Arrest records? Missing persons? Cold cases? What the hell is so important about those?" I asked.

"And just what were you five looking for, if it was as trivial as you say?" Nate replied. He sounded like he was up to no good.

"That's… personal, Nate. It's important to my love, so it's important for us. We're all her friends." Dan told him.

"I see. Paladin, you will guide our "guests" through the Prydwyn. Report back at 0900 hours. I will have work for you then. Dismissed." the Elder said.

"Yes, sir. I will see to it." Danse replied.

"Follow me, and Danse will take the rear. Hancock, you might want to consider heading back to Goodneighbor. Or one of the Minutemen settlements if that suits you better. Things may get unpleasant for a ghoul here." Nate said.

"Nah, you know I can handle myself. Besides, who else would take care of Trader Dan and his lady friend? There are _two_ ghouls on the Blimp of Steel. Ya know, case you hadn't noticed." Hancock said with a dismissive toss of his hand.

I offered my gratitude to the mayor, to which he made some remark about being "for the people". Should've guessed he'd say something like that. Dan shook his hand as well. I thought that he was glad to have another ghoul to accompany us in this place. Strength in numbers, right?

Nate looked at Hancock as if he were trying to burn a hole in him simply by staring him down. The ghoul returned the stare towards his companion. In the end, Nate shrugged and told Hancock it was completely up to him.

Presented with no other option, we started down the hatch with Nate and Danse. Hancock stayed near Dan and I. Sandra snuck up to the mayor's side, batted her eyelashes at him, and jumped right into flirting. Dan smiled at me watching the two of them acting like this was nothing more than a double date.

As we wound our way through the various people and stations, I paid progressively less attention to my surroundings. Completely occupied with my fears of what would come next, I snapped back to reality as the group stopped at a row of cots with footlockers at the end of them. Danse was making some sort of announcement that I missed most of.

"…under watch. After we take you to see Proctor Quinlan, all of you will report back here until Elder Maxson decides what the next step will be." Danse ordered.

"Stay here? Are you out of your mind?" Sandra asked.

"You can't hold us hostage! We've done nothing wrong. You dipshits ambushed us!" shouted Ollie, his voice echoing through where we stood.

"You'll do as you're told. Same goes for you, John. You were given fair warning." Nate dictated.

"What?! Nate, I've got mayoral duties to fulfill. I ain't stayin' here with this feisty little bunch, and definitely not with ol' Dansey-pants." Hancock said as he began to leave.

Nate pulled the same fancy pistol I'd seen him with the night of the battle for Sanctuary. He didn't directly aim it at Hancock or any of us, but had it raised enough to be worrisome.

"You will do as you are told. Must I repeat myself? You have no authority here, and you know it." Nate threatened.

Before Hancock could go any further, Dan grasped his arm and pulled him back towards us.

"John, just stay. Honestly, I'm afraid for us and you are far more skilled at combat than I am. Help protect my girl, and I will pay any cost." Dan asked him quietly.

He looked from Dan to me and back again. Hancock looked down for a moment and shook his head.

"Man, you are gonna owe me so many chems. Deal." he said, sticking his hand out for Dan to shake and seal the deal.

As the men were working out their arrangement, I stepped over to Ollie and Mel. They both seemed to be taking in our surroundings, mapping the possibility of an escape.

"Any chance of fighting our way out? At least before our dear friend hooks up with Hancock over there." I asked, keeping an eye on Sandra while she resumed her 'snag a man' routine.

"Doubt it. The lady works fast once she's found a target." Mel replied, nodding her head towards Sandra.

"Picked a great time for her antics, too. Maybe if there's enough 'ghoul lovers' with us, they'll throw us out." Ollie said.

"Gonna take one for the team, babe?" Mel said with a smirk.

Danse announced our departure to meet this proctor over the sound of us jabbering. We followed the Paladin, and had to contend with all the inquisitive and sometimes disgusted eyes following our progress. I still held onto the hope that once night rolled around, we'd be able to sneak out of here. Suddenly in my peripheral vision, a dark streak raced by. A cat went shooting past us as we turned a corner into an office of sorts.

 _"_ _That's a first. Haven't seen any felines in the wastes yet."_ I thought.

"Emmett, get back here! Where do you think you're running off to?" came a voice from the room we were approaching.

"Proctor Quinlan, Elder Maxson has sent us to discuss the 'preservation project' with you or Senior Scribe McAllister. Ms. Morley has arrived." Danse told the bespectacled man.

"Really, Paladin? That was faster than I'd anticipated. I'll call McAllister over in a moment. Which of these women would be the lady of the hour?" Quinlan said.

I looked to my friends before stepping forward. Not knowing what was about to transpire increased my anxiety. My attention was commanded by this Quinlan man. I wanted Dan to hold me but there was palpable tension in the air from all parties that made it seem inadvisable. But I felt his hand brush against mine, and I reached behind me to pull him forward. He reached my side, and guided my body to his.

"I'm Brenna Morley. At least one version apparently." I said sarcastically.

"You have no idea just how true your words are, lady." came a man's voice from behind us all.

"Senior Scribe McAllister. Your timing is…impeccable." Quinlan said dryly.

We all turned to the entrance of the room. A man in light armor stood in the doorway, leaning against the wall. He was on the tall side, and softer around the middle than most of the Brotherhood people we'd seen so far. His coal black hair stood in mussed spikes, and ice blue eyes stared back at me.

Uncomfortable silence fell among us all.

Mel was the first to break the quiet. In just a few short strides, she'd reached this scribe fellow. She held out her hand expectantly for a shake. She wasn't left hanging.

"Melissa Stryker. That gorgeous piece of meat over there is my husband, Oliver." she said curtly.

"Senior Scribe Elliot McAllister. Good to meet you. I take it that you are Ms. Morley's protectors? Or perhaps hired mercenaries?" he replied, sounding genuinely curious about us.

"Mercenaries? Do any of these folks look like badasses? Pffft." Hancock laughed.

Sandra socked him hard in the arm. Hancock choked on his laughter.

"We _are_ badass. You just haven't seen it yet." Sandra boasted.

Dan looked to me for my go-ahead to talk to this guy. He was nervous and wanted my okay, but I didn't know why. I gave his warm hand a gentle squeeze before he spoke.

"We're no hired guns. Sandra Wilson, and the Strykers are Brenna's friends. I'm Daniel Adams. I stay by her side because we love each other." he told this Brotherhood scribe.

"Wonderful! That's plain to see, what with her touching you openly, and your endearing looks in her direction. Ah, but back to the business at hand, right? Let's go somewhere more private to discuss my findings. Come with me." McAllister said, gesturing for us to exit Proctor Quinlan's office.

All nine of us left Quinlan's room, and were led towards a large section of nothing but scientific stations. A bunch of raised beds held a garden of sorts. A dead and stripped super mutant was laid out on a gurney in the corner. Tables filled with experiments in progress were in neat rows with Brotherhood scientists moving to and fro, their noses buried in clipboards. Once we arrived at the start of the garden, Senior Scribe McAllister held out his arm to stop Danse and Nate.

"That will be all, gentlemen. You won't be needed from here on out." Elliot said. His tone would brook no argument.

"That's insubordination, scribe! I am in charge of the five people Elder Maxson ordered to be brought in." Danse said, his voice heated.

"McAllister wouldn't dare. Not with what we need to discuss." Nate said with a snotty attitude.

Elliot scowled at Danse and Nate. I'd hate to see this man truly angered if his irritation alone went to this level.

Elliot crossed his arms and said "I don't give a fuck what Maxson ordered. I have been tasked with managing the intel and tech behind the preservation project. You _will_ comply, or I will go to higher channels."

Nate began to raise his pistol before Danse stopped him. His thoroughly pissed off face would've sent me skittering away if it had not been for current circumstances.

"You think you're in charge? How laughably cute. I will be taking control right this second, or you will live to regret it your whole, short life." Nate snarled.

"A loaded God complex, cock it and pull it." I sang under my breath.

"That's enough, Knight. Shooting one of our own for such as this is extreme. You're interfering with Brotherhood operations. McAllister may not have a lot of fans here but he does have our loyalty, same as any other one of our brothers and sisters." Danse said sternly, holding Nate's shooting arm down.

"I won't forget this." Nate barked as he stalked away.

"Wouldn't have it any other way, sweetums! Toodles!" Elliot sang, waving enthusiastically as Nate left.

Danse scowled at the scribe.

"Just because I stopped him from shooting you dead does not mean I like you." he said before following behind Nate.

"Of course you don't. Feeling's mutual." Elliot said quietly.

"I just love uncomfortable confrontations before bedtime, don't you?" Mel said to the group.

"Uncomfortable? You kidding me? It was awesome!" her husband answered.

Mel sighed, and shook her head. This was her husband at his best. Hancock gave Ollie an approving clap on the back.

"I like this guy. Thinks like me and that's hard to come by." John said enthusiastically.

"Great. There's two of them." Mel said with a sigh.

A shrill whistle pierced the background chatter of the science wing. McAllister pulled his fingers from his mouth, and ordered all who weren't with him for briefing to leave until further ordered. Confused scientists gathered their notes and left the area. The scribe ushered us over to a table, and motioned for us to pull over more chairs to accommodate the remaining seven of us.

McAllister said "Alright. Two things first. Number one: The Ms. Morley practically sitting in her ghoulfriend's lap is one of three that we know of. Number two: who wants to break the hell out of here?"


	20. One Small Leap

**A/N:**

 **Hello again, dear readers. This chapter is another longer one, and I have the sinking feeling that I didn't research the Brotherhood as thoroughly as I should've. Please keep that in mind as you read.**

 **This chapter introduces one of the last three original characters that I've dreamed up for this little tale. I hope you like him as much as I do. Once the character introductions are complete, you'll start seeing the main Fallout 4 characters come out to play. This story was originally intended to be 5 chapters at most. These things have a way of growing though.**

 **Thanks for taking the time to read my work. As always, reviews are gladly welcomed.**

* * *

Pandemonium broke out instantly.

"Three?" I squawked.

"It'll be ok, love." Dan whispered, trying to soothe my shattered nerves.

"Hell yeah!" the Strykers and Hancock cried.

"Shit a brick." Sandra swore.

Elliot shot to his feet, and repeatedly told us all to quiet down before we drew attention to ourselves. We settled back in our chairs, some excited and others freaked out. The scribe pulled out a sheaf of papers from the small pack he had strapped across his body that landed at his hip.

"I transcribed the information found in the police terminals before I destroyed what the Brotherhood had stocked away." Elliot said quietly.

"Why would you do that? If you think we're going to beg or pay you…" Melissa began.

"No, no. Nothing of the sort! I've wanted away from these insane technology hoarders for a few years now. Finding a way to do it has been a whole other matter. I've had to deal with… Well, let's just say, special circumstances. From what I know, in the Capital Wasteland there were at least the Outcasts I could've run to first. Ultimately, I decided I want nothing to do with any faction of the BOS. The scribes have always been the civilian branch. I want a normal civilian life. You guys are the perfect way to stick it to Maxson while making good on my escape." he replied.

"Escape, huh? Since you know more about both this group and the Prydwyn, we'll follow your lead. For now." Oliver said.

"Good. I promise you won't regret it. I've no doubts that you are all capable in your own rights of leaving here, before you think I find you helpless. I just ask for a little trust, and some assistance along the way. For now, the six of you should report back to your bunks for the evening. We don't want to arouse suspicion." Elliot told us.

"Arouse. Now there's a great word." Hancock said while dropping a lecherous wink in Sandra's direction.

"That's not a bad idea, actually. It's no secret that ghouls are certainly looked down on here, and some…fooling around may be the distraction I need to finalize the equipment we'll need to fuck off out of this place." added Elliot.

"Don't you two dare! That's the last thing any of us need right now." I said firmly.

"Speak for yourself." muttered Sandra.

"Just what sort of 'equipment' do you need? How prepared for this are you? I mean, sneaking six additional people out of a giant airship without notice seems implausible." Dan asked.

"Oh, I never said anything close to 'without notice'. Why simply leave when you can make a dramatic exit? If I'm about to seriously burn some bridges, how about we all take part in transforming a flame into a maelstrom?" Elliot said with an impish grin.

"This won't end well." Dan and I said simultaneously.

"Doesn't have to end _well_ to end with some fun." Hancock said.

"Ok folks. Give me at least three hours. Then get ready to make a splash." Elliot said as he pushed himself away from the table.

Mel stood up as well, and dragged her husband to his feet. Dan and I joined them, and began walking back towards the cots assigned to us. Hancock said or did something that caused Sandra to burst into giggles before they too fell in line. Scribe McAllister left to work on whatever he had in store. When we reached the cots, the Strykers pushed two together. Hancock followed their lead, and set up an area for him and Sandra. That left Dan and I to stand there, looking at each other. He shrugged, and we went along with the others.

"I'd really rather that we save any…activity…for a moment when we have privacy, despite the senior scribe's suggestion." Dan whispered once we were laying down.

I choked on a nervous laugh.

"I agree actually. But I wouldn't say no to some cuddling." I said hopefully.

Dan pulled me into his arms, and kissed me. I looked into his obsidian eyes, and thanked him for stepping out of his comfort zone. He just hugged me closer, and reassured me that no matter what happened with the others, he'd get us safely out of here. It wasn't long before I dozed off. A long and emotionally arduous day had taken its toll.

I woke to the sounds of love making. I couldn't believe either couple felt this was an appropriate time for that. Dan's eyes popped open around the same time that I did. I just shook my head in amazement. Sandra had apparently gotten her wish.

I heard someone coming towards our area of confinement.

"Agh! Stop that right now! Goddamn ghouls are nothing but animals!" a woman's voice shouted.

"Jealous, sweets?" came Hancock's cocky reply.

The commotion of the Brotherhood guard calling for reinforcements, the Strykers jumping into action, Sandra and Hancock yanking on clothes, and more soldiers running towards us freaked me out. Dan and I just sat at the edge of our makeshift bed, confused and taking it all in. As he passed, Ollie grabbed Dan's shoulder and yelled for us to follow him.

"Follow you? As if you have any idea where you're going!" Mel teased as she sprinted by us.

"You know me, baby. I think best when running for my life." Ollie replied, laughing as the Brotherhood gave chase through the Prydwyn.

The six of us indeed ran for our lives, even if it meant just running in circles. Sandra was wearing Hancock's signature hat, laughing like this was the best night she'd ever had. Her lover couldn't get his coat buttoned while he jogged, said "Fuck it.", and sped up to join the rest of us. Dan grabbed my hand to keep me near him. The Strykers, being nuts as they were, made as much noise as they could. Ollie punched every person we passed if he could get in a swing. If he couldn't reach them, he just shouted "Boo!" and cackled like a madman. Mel actually took the time to overturn any nearby tables, and shout obscenities far more awful than anything Ollie could come up with. There was no way in hell that McAllister couldn't hear us coming. The entire Prydwyn could probably hear us.

We came skidding to a stop at the exit to the flight deck where the vertibirds were docked. Elliot was waiting for us, and shouted for us to follow him. The seven of us burst out of the body of the Prydwyn. Dead ahead stood seven suits of power armor.

"Finally! I've been wanting one of those for months!" I shouted triumphantly, punching the air in excitement.

"Ok, everyone suit up. Power armor is fairly easy to wear and operate. Each has a brand new fusion core, so we should be good for awhile. Once I hit this remote control, we have to leave immediately. Remember what I said about making a splashy exit? Let's get ready to jump!" Elliot exclaimed.

"Jump? Oh I don't think so." Sandra said, already looking a bit green in the gills.

Hancock comforted her as best he could. I'd forgotten about her fear of heights that kicked in when we had arrived to the airship earlier in the day. Thankfully, she calmed down quickly after he'd promised that we'd all stay by her side.

Everyone else had climbed into their armor by the time I hopped into mine. I had a transient feeling of claustrophobia as it sealed up around me. From behind, I could hear Brotherhood personnel pouring from the exit we'd just dashed from.

"Jump! Now!" Elliot shouted, mashing the button on his little remote as he leapt from the Prydwyn.

A hollow popping sound came from the Prydwyn herself. The bullets and lasers whizzing by us were all the incentive we needed to make the same dive that McAllister did just seconds ago. Everyone except Sandra and I had jumped.

"I can't do it, Brenna. I don't want to die!" she said, fear leaving her voice trembling even through the tinny distortion of her helmet.

"If we stay here, we die. If we jump, well, _maybe_ we die. We've gotta take that chance!" I shouted, pushing her to the edge of the hangar.

"Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit." Sandra said in rapid fire succession.

It was now or never. The Brotherhood were within striking distance, and as good as power armor is, it was never intended to last forever.

"On the count of three! One…" I said, grabbing her hand and dragging her down with me.

The sensation as we plummeted to earth was one I'll never forget. Now I understood why people went skydiving or practiced other extreme sports. The sensors in the armor had righted us so we'd land on our feet.

" _Very catlike."_ I thought just before impact.

The ground shook, and a cloud of dirt spread around in a circle from my point of impact. I don't think I'd ever felt quite so powerful in my whole life. This was exhilaration in its purest form.

"Run! We've got a small window before the ground troops at the airport catch on to what just happened up above. Move it!" McAllister shouted as soon as we were all accounted for.

Running was made surprisingly easier by the power armor. Its servos allowed all of us to keep going beyond our normal endurance. We were out of the Boston Airport faster than I'd thought possible.

"Where to now?" Mel asked as we slowed our mad dash to freedom.

"Goodneighbor. We can hide out there, no problem." Hancock said with easy confidence.

"Sounds good enough to me. I want to show you all the information I have, and we need some solid rest before coming up with a firm plan." Elliot said.

"What exactly happened back there? We all heard that pop from inside the Prydwyn before we jumped." Sandra asked.

"Yeah, about that. I may or may not have remotely wiped the computer mainframe. Also, sealed the doors. We shouldn't be bothered by them for a little awhile yet." Elliot said with a giant grin.

"Before we go anywhere, you need to tell me exactly what you meant about there being three of me." I demanded.

"That information needs to be kept quiet. It's not too far to the good mayor's town of ne'er-do-wells." Elliot said firmly.

"Sonofabitch." I grumbled.

"Ne'er-do-wells? Ain't gonna argue with that." Hancock said with pride.

"Are we staying in the power armor? Please say yes." Ollie begged.

"May as well. Let's get it in gear." Elliot said, heading off towards Goodneighbor.

By the time we arrived, I was completely on tenterhooks. We hadn't gotten much sleep on the Prydwyn, and I was certain that added to it all. Hancock suggested we all head over to the Third Rail to relax a bit before heading to a quiet spot to hear what the scribe had to say. Elliot declined, saying we needed to have this conversation as soon as possible. Hancock shrugged, and left to find the sweet release of inebriation.

I suggested the Memory Den as a private place to talk. Since Dr. Amari already knew of my circumstances, thanks to my trip with Nick, it made sense to go there. Plus her insight might be helpful. Elliot seemed to have some reservations, but agreed to my idea. We headed into the Den, and were ushered back to the doctor's private lab room. After some quick introductions, we got right down to business.

"Doctor, I need your help. Again. McAllister is –was- a senior scribe with the Brotherhood of Steel…" I started.

"Up until tonight, that is." Elliot interrupted, a satisfied smile playing across his face.

I sighed.

"Anyway, he brought some information that we'll need some help unraveling. Do you remember my trip here with Nick?" I asked.

"How could I forget? I still have my doubts about the authenticity of your memory, but yes, I do recall you and Detective Valentine coming here for my assistance." Amari replied.

"This time I won't need the use of a memory lounger. Admittedly, I have yet to view the documents that Scribe McAllister has. But I'm interested in seeing where any overlap occurs between his knowledge and mine. I have had a certain _issue_ arise that makes no earthly sense to me." I said.

"If this knowledge, as you say, is between you and the former scribe, why are these other people here?" she said, sounding slightly suspicious.

"They're my friends, and my… gentleman friend. They've all witnessed firsthand what I know, and I need them with me." I said.

"So gather around, kiddies. It's time for show and tell." said Elliot, taking out those papers once more.

Everyone except for Amari pulled over stools, and prepared ourselves as best we could for what might come next. Most of my people had our packs and guns resting at our feet. We'd been lucky to have left our things on the vertibird instead of inside the Prydwyn. Elliot had loaded up each of our packs by the feet of the power armor that had been awaiting us.

"Ok. Do any of you know exactly what a senior scribe does?" Elliot asked the group.

"Not really. The Brotherhood has always guarded their information tightly. Well, at least from us simple folk." Melissa said sardonically.

"I'll explain as best I can. Senior scribes are a step below the proctors. Each scribe, no matter their ranking, follows one of three orders: the Order of the Sword, Order of the Shield, or Order of the Quill. I'm in that last category. Basically, the nerdiest of the nerds. Due to my rank, special projects were brought to the attention of only myself and Proctor Quinlan. Nearly two years ago, the so-called 'preservation project' fell in our laps. Records of two women who shared the same name, same birthdate, and for the most part, the same physical characteristics. Then around six months ago, the existence of yet another of these such women was brought to our attention." Elliot told us.

"Nate." I growled venomously, clenching my fists at my sides.

Elliot cleared his throat.

"Yes." he said, rather uncomfortably.

Before Dan could restrain me, I shot to my feet and strode up to Elliot. Changing my mind at the last minute, I turned and punched the wall instead of him.

 _"_ _Shit. There went my knuckles."_ I thought, feeling at least somewhat less violent due to the pain.

The room was as silent as the grave.

I sat back down, and began nursing my rapidly swelling hand.

"Do any of these other women have some anger management issues?" Sandra asked.

My hand may have hurt, but not enough to stop me from flipping her off. She simply smiled anyway, knowing that's just how I was.

"That we don't know. We do know that each of these women had, by their own admission, medical issues. From what we can tell, even though it makes no sense, each appears to be from a different world than our own." Elliot said.

"Well, I can verify at least the last claim. This ain't Kansas anymore, Toto." I said.

"What?" the former scribe asked.

"Just… never mind. Go on." I said.

"Before we left the Capital Wasteland, we had come across research documents for a Ms. Brenna J. Morley. We hadn't been able to ascertain just when these tests were conducted, but given her birthdate, it couldn't have been close to the Great War. The tests had indicated she had a form of cancer that started in her pancreas." he said, turning his gaze to me before asking "And your date of birth is?"

"March 31, 1981." I said flatly.

Elliot sat down from where he'd been lecturing, and looked stunned.

"Remarkably well preserved for her age, right?" Ollie asked with a smirk.

"And absolutely beautiful as well." Dan added, softly caressing my cheek with the back of his hand.

I could feel myself turning scarlet.

"Ok, guys. Save the sweet talk for when we're back home in Sanctuary." I said with a grin.

"Are you absolutely certain that the date you've stated is your true birthday?" a disbelieving Elliot asked.

"If my purse hadn't been snatched the night I arrived in this world, I could show you my driver's license and prove it." I told him, rolling my eyes.

"Have you had any memory problems? Moments where you either easily forget aspects of your prior life, or things you've done or perhaps experienced?" he asked.

"No. Not at all! But sometimes… I-I-I suppose so? Maybe? It's been six months since Nick Valentine found me. My husband and our kids used to be on my mind all the time. Not so much these days." I said, looking at the floor in shame.

 _"_ _How could I forget them? What kind of person am I?"_ I thought.

"Oh that's wonderful!" Elliot said, breathing a huge sigh of relief.

"What?! How could that possibly be wonderful?" I asked.

"You're married! Then Morley is your husband's surname, right?" he asked.

"Ah, about that. Most of the married women in my day chose to keep their maiden names. I never took Jay's last name." I said.

"Fuck." Elliot said, sounding incredibly concerned.

"Alright, so what about this woman? How much did you learn about her? And why so obviously care about the information?" Dan asked.

"I'd become intrigued by this case, and had some serious questions about why so many highly detailed medical tests were done on her while forgoing aggressively treating the cancer like they did back in those days. Turns out that she had been seeing this "Preservation Solutions Medical Group". Their logo appears all over these records, and that particular Ms. Morley had signed certain medical release forms that allowed the group to have legal jurisdiction of her corpse upon her death. It seemed that she knew she was terminally ill, and gave up fighting for her life at that point. The wording indicates that she had opted out of any traditional treatment within three month of entering the care of this Dr. William Hoffman. And I use the word 'doctor' loosely." Elliot explained.

"Pancreatic cancer is no joke. I guess I can understand why she'd decide that." I said, thinking of what I may have done in her shoes. My shoes. Whatever.

"Is there any family history of cancer in your case?" asked Dr. Amari, finally jumping into the conversation.

"Cancer runs in my family on both sides. Daddy had colon cancer, and Ma had leukemia." I said.

"Hmmm. Interesting information there, Brenna. Mostly disconcerting, but interesting nonetheless. Then the second woman…" Elliot said before I interrupted him.

"How old was this other Brenna at the time she began seeing that doctor?" I asked, wanting to compare the age of her against the age of Holotape Woman.

"She was just 25 years old. She died at age 26." he stated matter-of-factly.

"Well, shit." was all I could think to say.

"Pretty much." said Sandra.

"Ah, you are nothing if not succinct. May I continue onto the second of three Morleys?" Elliot asked.

I made a 'go on' gesture with my hand, having no other words at that moment.

"The info we have on this woman is limited. The doctor's notations that we discovered stated that she had become part of the National Institutes of Transformational Health in 1997 as an assistant research scientist on some project regarding human tissue regeneration. A child prodigy, she graduated from…Harvard? Anyway, that occurred at age 14. From what we can tell, she voluntarily became a test subject of the very same project. Would you be unsurprised if I were to tell you that the logo for this NITH bears an eerie resemblance to the one from the Preservation Solutions Medical Group?" Elliot said.

"At this point, I doubt much would surprise any of us. Especially not these two." Mel said, nodding her head over towards where I sat with my arms around Dan.

Elliot finally set down the papers for us to read. Everything he'd mentioned in his summaries was here in print. I hugged Dan a little tighter when we spotted the two logos. We shared a look, and without words, I removed two items from my own rucksack.

I tossed the holotape labeled with my name, and the patch I'd torn off the skeleton who had held it.

"Hey El, I see your creepy tales and raise you two more. Think you can call that?" I said, my voice dripping with both sarcasm and dread.


	21. Deja Vu All Over Again

A/N: This chapter is lengthier by far than any of my others. I just couldn't seem to get my thoughts out in a concise manner. There's some slow burn fluff towards the bottom of the chapter that won't matter a whole lot if you decide to skip over it, dear readers.

* * *

"Where did you find these? Seeing da Vinci's Vitruvian man- subtly altered of course- in each of these three distinct entities is astounding!" Elliot asked over the sound of Brenna 4.0 playing from the holotape once more.

"A place called Med-Tek Research. A guy by the name of MacCready took me out there. That patch was on a lab coat from one of the skeletons. Homeskillet was holding the holotape." I said smugly.

 _"_ _Finally have one up on this pompous ass."_ I thought.

I never particularly liked being lectured to, which had made my college days difficult to say the least. It wasn't so much that McAllister was a douchebag or anything. It was the way he had presented his information, as though I were simply another part of a walking medical experiment and not a person. It was also that my mind was whirling with all the new information about these other versions of myself. More than anything, I wanted to get to the bottom of this. We needed some help. We needed Nick.

Oliver beat me to it.

"Time to hire a detective. Grab your gear, friends and other fine folks. We're off to Diamond City." he said.

Dan shook his head vehemently. He still began packing up our stuff, but the look on his face told me he had no intention of following us.

"Ghouls aren't exactly welcomed with open arms in Diamond City, and you know that, Ollie. We've got to come up with a better plan. I'm not leaving Brenna unless I absolutely have to." Dan said.

I looked up from where I was sitting while Dr. Amari bandaged my busted knuckles after admonishing me to not allow my temper to cause bodily harm to myself or those on my side.

"If we need to find another way to contact Nick, or some other way to go about finding the information we need, we can do it. I have faith in all of us." I said.

I wasn't about to be separated from Dan or any of my friends for that matter. Hell, not even Elliot. Doing this alone was now out of the question.

Everyone had shouldered their crap, and we left the Memory Den with the promise from Dr. Amari that she would continue going over her notes from Elliot's information. Hopefully, Lady Luck would be on our side, and the doc would find something more to go on. Elliot showered me with questions about the holotape until I snapped at him.

"Would you fucking shut up, McAllister? I'm trying to think, and you are pushing my limits. Don't make me put you in time out, mister!" I said, my irritation evident.

"Time out? Seriously? You sound like a mother." he laughed.

"She is a mom, you know. Better watch out. She'll spank us all." Melissa said.

"Dan might like that." Sandra added with a mischievous grin.

"You have children?" Elliot asked, sounding surprised.

"Did you miss her mention of them earlier?" Dan asked.

"I have three kids. My older boys, and my little girl. They were- _are_ \- fifteen, twelve, and five. They're good kids." I said, missing my babies.

"You're the only one of these women to have given birth, to the best of my knowledge. Maybe that's another clue." he replied.

"Anything that helps, I guess." I said sadly.

Remembering my kids knocked my mood down several notches. Everyone seemed to pick up on that, and they all quieted their conversations as we left.

In short order, we'd reached the gate leaving Goodneighbor. More than anything, I wanted a way to find Nick that didn't require my little team to be split up. We needed help putting the pieces together. As strange as this all seemed, maybe once we figured it out, I'd have a way home. Returning to Connecticut would mean leaving a piece of my heart back here, but that was no different than the missing piece from back in my world.

"Getting to Diamond City through the streets means dealing with big green uglies. Think you guys can handle it without needing hand holding?" Elliot asked.

"Uh huh. Just watch and learn, buddy boy." said Ollie.

Shifting my rucksack, I loaded the 10mm and strapped on its leather holster that Dan had acquired for me through his trades. I had only needed it as backup twice in my time in the Commonwealth. But I'd already learned that people who traveled with only one weapon were more likely to end up as paste smeared along the ground. Taking my anger and frustration out on whatever stood in my way seemed like a good idea at that moment.

Sandra's voice calling my name brought me back to reality and redirected me towards the shops at the gate. K-LEO was more than agreeable to offer us suggestions for all our weaponry needs. The Strykers kept their power armor, but the rest of us sold ours. We had no idea just how many caps we would need for this hunt we were on. Dan and I popped by to see Daisy, and buy whatever helpful items most folks traveled with that we might need.

"Awww look at the two of you! Looks like our Dan did win you over. You treat him well. About time he had his first love." she said smiling.

I swore I could see him blush at her words.

 _"_ _Still cute as hell. But where'd she come up with 'first' love? I doubt that."_ I thought.

Dan purchased a variety of ammo, Stimpaks, and some RadAway for me, all while trying to avoid either my questioning looks, or Daisy's tickled one. In the blink of an eye, we were back with our friends.

It was time to make a Diamond City decision. For now, we would make our way through the back streets. Between the six of us, we'd come up with something more solid as we went. I gave my Helga a once over, making sure the rifle was in fighting condition. Locked, stocked, and loaded, we left Goodneighbor behind.

Mel and Ollie took point, despite Elliot's objections. He may have still considered himself Brotherhood deep down subconsciously, but that didn't hold water with us.

"Tough shit, sugarpie. We work well as a team already, and you need to find your place among us. Just watch our backs, and we'll do the same for you. Fuck us over at your own peril." Ollie told him, not bothering to suppress his over the top maniacal laughter.

We fanned out as best we could in the crowded and destroyed streets. Even though we moved as quietly and carefully as possible, the revolting mutant hounds caught wind of us. Dan and I aimed low to pick off the hounds. Mel leapt atop a billboard left leaning against a building, and shot at the first greenskin to show its ugly mug. Ollie went running into the fray, his new shotgun needing closer range to be as effective as we needed. Sandra pulled her sniper rifle in the blink of an eye, killing the skirmisher firing at Elliot from the scaffolding to our right. Watching her in action reminded me of the night she saved my hide against the same nasty creatures at Sanctuary.

An odd beeping sound in the distance was becoming closer by the second.

 _"_ _What the hell is that now?!"_ I wondered.

"Suicider!" screamed Elliot.

"Brenna, get back by McAllister! Now!" yelled Dan.

Not questioning his sudden fear, I ran to the back of our group. I could see Ollie taking shots at a crazed mutant with a damn nuke cradled in its arm. Mel shouted at him to just run, and for once, he didn't mouth off and immediately complied with her command instead. That's when I knew this was some serious shit.

Mel yanked several frags from her belt, and heaved them with all her might at the suicider. Each grenade exploded in near proximity to the mutant in question. Although they had little impact to the suicider that we were all desperate to kill, they did take out three of the usual greenskins. So that was a bonus, right?

"Everybody, down!" McAllister hollered while finally pulling his gun.

Having learned the hard way to not question orders from each other in the midst of danger like this, we all ducked down or hid behind the nearest debris pile. Peering from behind the remaining hunks of wall, I watched helplessly as Elliot aimed, uttered a quick prayer, and shot his BOS-issued laser rifle directly at the mini nuke. The explosion shook the street, and warm bits of freshly disintegrated mutant rained down on us.

"Oh ick." Sandra said, trying to shake the gore out of her curly red hair.

"Nah, this stuff is yummy. The nuke cooks it to perfection every time." said Elliot, scooping some green bits from the ground near him.

We all gaped at him in shock.

"Joking? It's a damn joke." he said while tossing his handful in Dan's general direction.

Ollie groaned, and told him to come up with a better act. We resumed picking our way through the desolate remains of a once thriving city. Despite all the time spent in the wastes, it still left me with a sense of mourning. I never knew this world before nuclear devastation, but it must have been quite the place here in Massachusetts.

"So any ideas about what to do with our ghoulish friend here? Backdoor to Diamond City? A hooded cloak? Ooh. Or how about some truly righteous make-up?" Elliot asked.

"I haven't a clue. I remember the Fenway Park of my world, but I doubt that's much help here." I replied, ignoring his attempts at humor.

"There has been talk amongst the Minutemen who deal with the Commonwealth's ghoul communities. A lady up at that tarberry farm mentioned a hidden passage of sorts near the rear of the 'great green jewel'. We may be able to stay together." Mel told us.

"I've heard of it too, but from Hancock. He's the only one ballsy enough to simply strut into Diamond City, but he is the mayor's brother after all. John has apparently had some of his people smuggle the last remaining ghoul families out of the city and home to Goodneighbor in the past. " Dan shared before adding "That doesn't mean that I'm entirely comfortable with all of this."

"We should send some of us in the regular way. Guards will be less likely to question the arrival of two extra people than six." Ollie offered.

"Two? Great! I was worried that you'd all expect Dan to sneak in on his own." I said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Why think that? Of course we assumed that you'd follow your lover." Elliot asked, mildly confused.

Sandra opened her mouth to answer with only Goddess knew what, but Dan pointed a finger of warning in her direction. She raised her eyebrow and made the zipping her mouth shut gesture that was apparently known worlds around.

"In the meantime, we can rent a few rooms at the Dugout Inn. Vadim has dealt with our odd requests before, so this is nothing new. We can wait it out until we ascertain that Valentine is indeed back in his office before all six of us head over for a nice chat." Ollie interrupted.

It was early evening by the time we approached Diamond City. Just barely within the guard stations, we parted ways with the other four members of our party. Mel gave us the best directions that she could to the passageway Dan and I would take. Sandra was digging around in her pack, and jogged to catch up with us. Her gift was a working flashlight. We had no idea what this secret entrance to the city would be like, and I couldn't have been happier about having some light for our trip. Dan and I both hugged her, then sent her on back to everyone else. We walked as casually as we could muster past the two guards watching over the rear of the walled city. On our right about 35 feet away from the guards was the landmark we'd been told to watch for.

"Clever. A blue radiation sign." Dan chuckled.

"I don't get it." I said, cocking my head this way and that to spot an entrance into the area the sign apparently marked.

"Love, ghouls are immune to radiation. And blue is not the color associated with radiation warnings. A safe way out for our kind signaled this way is subtle. It's…perfect actually." he replied with a touch of wonder in his voice.

"I trust you. Perfect it is then. Any ideas on how to continue this mad scavenger hunt?" I asked him.

"I'm not sure. Maybe feel along the wall for a hidden door? Or is that too cliché?" he inquired.

"Sounds as good a place to start with anyway, cliché or not. Let's feel up the Commonwealth's Great Green Jewel, shall we?" I said while placing my hands on opposite sides of the warning sign.

Dan stood and watched me run my hands over every bit of the wall that I could touch. His laughter grew until I shot him a dirty look.

"Having a good time over there?" I asked with a frown.

"Maybe. You do look pretty funny. Cute, but funny." he replied, a teasing sparkle dancing in his eyes.

I sauntered over to him, letting my hips sway as I went. His eyes were easily diverted where I wanted them. He was wearing a white button down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and jeans. I wiped my dirty hands down the front of his shirt.

"Who's laughing now?" I said with a smirk.

He just shook his head in exasperation, but his smile said that he was as amused as I was.

"Ok, how about we keep walking past this sign and keep a lookout for others like it?" Dan suggested.

"Works for me." I responded, taking his hand in mine as we set off.

It wasn't more than another 20 feet when we spotted another blue sign, this time with a small arrow pointing first to the right, then sharply downward. Following the trail led us to what looked suspiciously like a service entrance to the former stadium.

"This has _got_ to be it. I should've thought about these old corridors that contemporary people wouldn't even begin to remember." I said, feeling incredibly stupid.

"Hey, don't blame yourself, love. I could've just as easily tried to think of this as well." Dan said, trying to ease my anger at myself.

Shaking off my emotions, I felt my way along the industrial sliding metal door. Dan was kneeling, helping me find purchase on the bottom of the door. Finally, he was able to slip his fingers beneath it, and pull it up a few inches.

"Huh. It rolls up pretty easily from here. Should we go slowly in case it starts screeching?" he asked.

"Probably. I'll get the flashlight ready. We'll have to close it behind us." I said.

With daylight rapidly fading, we scooted under the partially opened door on our butts. Once I turned on the flashlight, Dan began carefully lowering the metal hatch that hid the escape tunnel quite well. Shining our light through the darkened hallway, we could easily see that we were correct about our assumptions. I could make out some faded posters, and delivery schedules stuck to the walls. We began walking deliberately down the corridor. Our footfalls sounded deafeningly loud despite the muffling effects of the thick dust and dirt that coated every possible surface. Not even a mere 15 feet into the passageway, the flashlight died.

"Motherfuck! Batteries aren't a thing anymore?" I asked in my frustration, slapping the thing to maybe turn it on.

I've always been afraid of the dark. Give me lamp, a night light, a fire, a candle, even a gods be damned flashlight. So long as it works.

I tossed the now dead lifeline into my rucksack, and waited for my other senses to adjust. I heard Dan's steady breathing come from near my left side.

"Just stay where you are, love. I'll find you." came his whisper in the blackness.

It was just moments later that I felt his fingertips graze over my stomach, provoking a fit of giggles from me. Rather than pull away from the contact, he skimmed his hand smoothly over my middle, around my waist, and down to my hip. Dan pulled me close to him, and I wrapped my arms around his waist.

"Gotcha." he whispered in my ear.

"More than you know." I told him.

He let go of me and took my hand. We recommenced our slow descent down the lightly inclined access strip. I couldn't imagine how terrified I'd be alone here without Dan to cling to. The fucking darkness, man. I must've been squeezing his hand harder than I intended because he wiggled out of my grasp, and held onto my waist instead to guide me forward. It was so quiet there in the escape tunnel. I opened my mouth to break the silence, but couldn't bring myself to speak.

I don't know what there is about being in absolute shadow that brings forth the need for people to talk, whether to themselves or any others available to hear their voice. Perhaps we feel our own mortality, or reflect upon a lifetime of mistakes and regrets more profoundly when the void of the grave surrounds us.

Dan exhaled heavily, and began his confession.

"Love, I haven't been entirely truthful with you. Maybe it's time you knew."

Sudden doubt hit me, I stopped walking, and prepared to listen to his words like a blow to my heart. Conversations that start like this never have a happy ending in my experience.

"Don't keep me hanging, sweetheart." I said softly into emptiness of the complete obscurity of the corridor.

"You… You're only the second woman I've ever kissed, let alone anything else. And the only one to return my affections." he said, the fear of rejection clear in both words and tone.

"I find that difficult to believe. You mean, since the Great War, right?" I asked, almost apprehensive of his response.

"I mean in my whole life. All these long years alone take a toll on a man." he whispered.

"So who was she?" I couldn't help but ask.

He chuckled deprecatingly.

"You've actually seen her before. In that photo from the company picnic the year before everything was destroyed in a matter of a few measly hours. She was sitting in the row in front of me. Her name was Felicia Roland. I thought I loved her more than life itself sometimes. Until…" he said.

"What? Until what?" I asked with bated breath.

"Until the Vault-Tec Christmas party that year. She was standing beneath the mistletoe, looking radiant. I thought that it was her signal to me. We'd chatted plenty of times at work." he huffed a disgusted noise and went on, "I walked up to Felicia, and she smiled. I kissed her. Not the way I kiss you. It was a chaste one, I suppose. She didn't slap my face or anything like that. She just…froze up. At that moment, I knew I'd made a terrible mistake. She hadn't cared for me in return." Dan finished.

I truly did not know what to say. The things he just told me… That meant he was a virgin. I blurted out the first thing to come to mind. You know, because I'm an idiot with no filter sometimes.

"So you've never… Did you ever… just want…sex? I mean, that explains so much." I stammered.

Dan barked a short laugh, and tried to move his arm away from me. I wouldn't let him. I suspect he felt that I wouldn't want him in my life anymore, knowing what I knew now.

"Sweetheart, it's ok. I don't expect you to run away from me, or hell, just fall into bed with me now that I know. In a way, it's taken a load off my mind. I thought you didn't want me beyond…" I trailed off, losing my train of thought.

I felt his roughly scarred hands tenderly stroke my neck and cheeks. He must have known just how much I loved it when he touched me like that. I melted into his hands, giving myself permission to abandon all thought and enjoy the moment. I couldn't stop the soft sigh of pleasure that burbled up from me, nor did I truly want to. Maybe if he knew more about how badly I wanted him, he would gain a little confidence in himself.

Dan kissed my cheek, then pulled away.

 _"_ _What the hell? Things were just starting to get good!"_ I thought.

Despite Sandra's admonishment to let him take the lead in romance, I couldn't do it. I'd have to go ghoul myself were I to give him the time he needed.

"Once we're out of this tunnel and safely ensconced at the Dugout Inn, we need a few moments. Private moments." I said.

Dan's nervous titter echoed down the ramp. In response, we heard a rustle and a moan.

"Shit. Ferals. Be as quiet as you can, and get your 10mm ready. The rifle won't help here, before you protest, love." Dan whispered, his lips so close to my ear that I could feel the heat of him.

I nodded, and did as he said. By the movements next to me, I knew he had armed himself as well. I would've given anything to have night vision goggles at that moment.

What we got instead was a glowing one amidst the small circle of regular ferals becoming aware enough to find us.

"At least we can see now. Time to find out what we can do when it's just the two of us." I said, aiming for the glowing ghoul first.

"Take down that green bastard before the others!" Dan shouted.

We moved fluidly together. I crouched down on one knee and began shooting at the thing's legs, slowing it down. Dan stood behind and above me, popping the regular ferals in the face with more precision than I'd seen from him before. Each shot that found its way into a feral added some fire to the mix. Dan began reloading his pistol while I kept on shooting at the one source of light in the tunnel. With the typical zombies dispatched, we concentrated our fire on the glowing one. The thing had no legs yet kept pulling itself along towards us. Dan finished reloading, and got the ghoul square in its face.

As we were plunged back into darkness, I felt Dan begin to search through my rucksack for something. It must've been critically important because he hadn't even asked me to take it off.

"What are you looking for, sweetheart?" I asked while my shoulders were jerked around by his frantic need for whatever was hidden in the leather pack.

Dan shushed me and said "I know I packed them. I know it!"

I stopped his hands by tugging on the straps and dropping my rucksack to the floor. Suddenly I felt ill, and more tired than I ought to.

"Shit. You mean the Rad-x and RadAway, don't you?" I asked.

"Bingo, love. In this closed in space, the glowing one's radiation spike became more concentrated than you can handle. It doesn't bother me in the least bit, but I won't let you get sick." he explained.

I sat down in the dust and dirt while Dan continued his search. Moments later, he found them. He felt his way over to me, and his searching hands brushed against my breasts before settling on my upper arms. I couldn't help but find the humor in the situation.

"If it only takes a hefty dose of rads to get you to touch me, count me in!" I laughed.

"Only you, love, would find that humorous. Now hold still while I get the RadAway going, and you can pop a few of the Rad-x for good measure." he replied with a little chuckle.

A few minutes later, I was feeling back to my normal self. We continued our walk into Diamond City, and I kicked the feral corpses as we passed. The remaining distance wasn't as exciting as it was with the glowing one. A few molerats and radroaches later, we came upon a hatch that was obviously put in after the bombs dropped. It looked more like the doors to the basement of my house in Connecticut than what I'd expected to find in a former baseball stadium.

"Hey, hold up. I can actually see a bit of this exit. There's light coming through the cracks around it!" I said excitedly.

"You're right! Oh thank God. I don't think I could've taken much longer in that darkness. Let's get out of here." Dan said with relief.

With our pistols out just in case, I pushed up on the hatch experimentally. It wasn't locked, and we took that as a good sign. After we hit the point where it was opened about six inches, we took a peek at where we'd ended up.

"About time you two showed up. What were you doing down there, taking an educational tour or something?" Sandra said.

Sweet relief washed over me. The underground trek was over. Mel and Ollie helped Dan and I up and over the final abrupt step into what looked like a hotel room.

"Welcome to the Dugout. Time to assign rooms for the night." Elliot said, a little smirk on his face.

I barged past my crew, and sprinted out of the room. I passed a few confused patrons of the lounge, and threw open the door to the outside. I pulled in deep breaths of the fresh night air. I truly do not believe that I have ever felt so much relief at being outside.

The bright luminosity Diamond City's market caught my eye. Waves of déjà vu rolled over me, halting the breath in my lungs. Memories of my first night here in this world felt haunting in the realization that the woman who woke in Nick's office had died. I was hardened by my months in the Commonwealth; born anew in the nuclear wastes. I gazed at the city in wonder. I was now a citizen of this world unlike any other. It felt right, and that frightened me.


	22. The Devil Is In The Details

Author's Note...once again:

Dear Readers, thank you for being patient while I work on this little tale of mine. My new job has me working 6 days a week, and it's time for the spring semester finals as well.

This chapter needs to be rated M due to some adult content of a sexual nature in the lower portion of the chapter. Feel free to skip it if you want. I kept debating whether or not to include it, or perhaps simply modify it. In the end, I left Brenna and Dan's love story where it was naturally going. That may change in the future. Mwah ha ha ha.

* * *

"What do you mean 'he hasn't been seen in the city for weeks'?" I hollered.

"Just sayin'. That's the word around town. I don't know what else to tell you." Elliot said with a shrug of his broad shoulders.

"Fuck." I cursed as I plopped onto the bed.

The six of us had been more or less cooped up at the Dugout Inn for the last two weeks. Only Dan never left the building. By ones or twos, the rest of us hung around Diamond City searching for answers. Our detective was missing by all accounts. Each of us were beginning to nurture the idea of heading back out into the Commonwealth. To do what, I don't know. But something more than just sitting around with our collective thumbs up our asses.

I knew that cabin fever had begun to get the best of poor Dan. He and I had been sleeping in the room that led to the escape tunnel. It had come down to where he spent his time pacing or napping. The other members of our group had dropped by with progress reports whenever they had them, but for the most part, we stayed put. The only bright spot was that it had provided ample opportunity for the two of us to talk, and we grew closer by the day. Vadim had waved off curious patrons by telling them that we were newlyweds staying in his "honeymoon suite".

"You know young love. They only leave the room for food and booze!" he'd tell them.

"Anyone else think it's time to leave? Maybe head back to Sanctuary for a bit to come up with another plan?" Dan groused from his spot on the bed next to me.

He was stretched out on his back in the double bed. Elliot was sitting across from us in the room's only chair. We were waiting for the Strykers to return from their trip into the market to procure supplies for our departure.

"We'd been planning to leave in a few days anyway. Why not get while the gettin' is good?" Elliot suggested. Almost as an afterthought, he added "I'm gonna go find out what Sandra's up to. You two don't do anything I would."

He left the room, locking the door from within as he went. I laid back next to Dan, and sighed.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he asked.

"I dunno. Missing home a bit, I guess. I feel like we've got little options left to us at this point." I said.

"Home to Connecticut?" Dan asked, turning onto his side to face me.

I laughed and told him that I wanted to see my little house in Sanctuary. It was

nearly time for Samhain, and I needed the spiritual grounding that came with honoring the sabbat. We spoke briefly of my faith, and the differences between our worlds on dominant religions.

"Christianity, huh? That was a huge global faith? Weird." I said.

"Paganism wasn't really practiced here before the war. I don't know too much about it." Dan told me.

"There's not too much to tell. We believe in many gods and goddesses. Each pagan travels their own spiritual path. It's taken for granted, I suppose. Religion has never been a big deal for us." I replied.

"Think you could love someone who isn't a believer in anything in particular?" he teased while running a finger along my collarbone.

"Oh I think I could manage that." I said, pleasant shivers running through me at his touch.

Our private moment was interrupted by the arrival of Ollie and Mel, with Sandra trailing behind them.

"What happened to Elliot? You guys scare him off for good?" Mel asked, swinging the key to our room around her finger.

"I'd guess Sandra would be able to answer that one better than we could." I answered.

"He mumbled something about a trade, and dashed out the door. He'll be back." Sandra said

"Ok, everyone go pack up. We'll send Brenna and Dan back through the tunnel and meet them on the outside. Back home it is." Ollie said decisively.

"Goddess do I ever hate that tunnel." I muttered under my breath.

Everyone left our room to gather their things. Dan and I did likewise. Just as we were about to open the secret hatch, Elliot burst in.

"Wait up a sec! I have something for you." he said breathlessly.

"Ok?" I asked doubtfully.

"I took your 10mm…" he started.

"What?! Why would you take my property?" I asked.

"I know you're not overly fond of Nate. Dan told me about how you came by the gun, and the reason he suspected for you rarely using it. I traded Nate's gun and some junk I had kicking around for a new pistol for you." he said before I could get indignant.

He pulled the gun and some ammo for it from his hip bag. Elliot presented me with the .44mm pistol, and I must say I was impressed. It was tarnished from age, but its deep patina lent a certain beauty to the gun. It had previously been engraved with an almost paisley-like pattern, most likely before the war or shortly after. I took the weapon from his outstretched hands almost reverently. I'd come to understand that one of the best gifts in this world was protection.

Dan got out of bed, and joined me to look at the newest addition to our arsenal. A low whistle and some words of thanks to Elliot came from my man. Both of us were grateful for the people we'd fallen in with. We all took care of each other as best we could.

Elliot scooted us down to the tunnel, and said he'd see us on the flipside. We grabbed our gear, and left the safety of the Dugout. Our trip through to join our group was uneventful. No other beasties surfaced, and I kinda wish they had. An opportunity to try out my new gun would've been a real boost to my spirits.

Once we were all together, we took a vote on our next move. Majority rules, and we were back off to Sanctuary. I found that on the road, there was indeed greater safety in numbers. Ollie took Elliot under his wing, and began showing him the difference between Brotherhood tactics and actual survival out here in the Commonwealth. His first encounter with a large raider band was almost comical. He screeched at the missiles flying towards us initially before the Strykers yelled at him to shoot back. Once it was all over, with only minor injuries on our side, Elliot had what Ollie called 'a mild negative reaction' to combat.

"There's a huge difference between firing at the shooting range than at real living people. I can't…" Elliot started before leaning over and puking his guts out.

I reassuringly patted his back.

"I felt about the same in my first few months here. It'll pass, I promise." I told him.

"I'm not necessarily sure that it's a good thing to acclimatize to murdering others." he said as he wiped his mouth on the edge of his sleeve.

"Kill or be killed, sugarpie." Ollie said. For once his tone was serious in nature.

"Let's get moving. We're nearly home." Dan said, urging us onto the road again.

For a group our size, we made good time back to Sanctuary. It was a relief to be back at my yellow house. Sturges found a spot for Elliot in the Complex. The rest of us headed back to our homes. Dan and I unpacked our things in my spare room, and came back out to show Elliot around Sanctuary. The former scribe was excited to see the community. I suspect it was mostly to learn more about the kind of woman I was. As we ambled around, saying hello to the familiar faces we'd missed, I noticed some people whom I didn't recognize. I asked Sturges if they were new settlers, or if they were just passing through. He confirmed that they were all indeed new citizens of Sanctuary, and pointed out the flurry of activity I'd missed in my focus on stepping across the threshold of my house.

Thankfully we had room to spare for more creative uses of scrap and salvage. Across the cul-de-sac from my house and Sandra's, construction was in full swing on another group home. While not as huge as the Complex, it was certainly not small by any means. When complete, it would boast housing for ten more settlers.

Two of our additional residents were about to become three. The ladies, Jen and Samantha, were expecting a new baby. Sam had been held hostage and was assaulted by a handful of rogue mercenaries over the course of several days. Jen turned to the Minutemen to rescue her beloved, and true to form, they brought Sam safely back to her lover's arms. It wasn't too long after that they realized Samantha was pregnant. Despite the child's origins, both women were happily ready to become mothers. The other residents had named the nearly complete home "New Life" in honor of both the chance at rebuilding that Sanctuary offered, and for the baby that would soon call this settlement home. Unlike my world, having children was a gamble here. It was difficult enough to find a safe and secure home for a single adult. But a family? The Minutemen settlements were becoming the places more and more wastelanders were turning to for safety and a sense of community. I wanted to congratulate Preston on this new achievement the next time I saw him.

In our absence, Sturges and a shockingly sober Leo had built a bath house. A heavy duty water purifier, some sort of makeshift water heater, and six of the old bathtubs hanging around the settlement added to the last remaining abandoned house created a fantastic spot for us all to get clean. I immediately went home, grabbed one of the clean dresses hanging in my closet, and ran over to savor a nice long bath. In the months I'd gone between the last time I truly felt clean and that moment, I was certain that my dirt had dirt of its own.

Once I was in the bath house, I got the hot water running and placed my bar of soap on the crackled glass dish that had been set on the shelf above the tub. I tightened up my grip on the mostly ragged towel I'd wrapped around my body while the water ran, and I turned to discover that a mirror had been shined up, and semi-repaired. I hadn't seen my own reflection in the nearly seven months I'd been in this world. Did I really want to see what the months in the wastes had done to me?

My normally chin length auburn waves now fell to an inch or so beyond my shoulders. My husband had always told me that I had a "mom body". After having three kids, I expected as much. I was chubby around the middle, and could've definitely stood to lose some weight. Although Jay had always loved my curves, I most certainly did not.

The Brenna staring back at me was slimmer but somehow still voluptuous. The tan that now colored my exposed flesh was something I'd never been able to maintain back in Connecticut. The brown eyes that flicked over the image before them now held an edge of determination instead of an almost doe-eyed innocence and hope.

I ran my hands over every bit of skin that wasn't covered, transfixed by the changes to my body. I let the towel fall to the floor in order to see more of what had been altered by the daily battles, both emotional and physical, that I had endured up to that very moment. The scars gained over the years back in my world still drew lines over my body. Knee replacement, and gallbladder removal surgical scars stood out in the fading light of sunset that filtered through the windows of the bathing house. The faint burn mark on my thigh from a teenaged me when I dropped the last cigarette I'd ever smoked caught my eye.

I took some cleansing breaths, and stepped into the water. Working a lather up with the same soap Dan had given me, I washed up. New scars peppered my body as well. The first gunshot wound from Sanctuary. A stab near my ribs from a raider band when it was just Nick and I traveling through the Commonwealth. Another burn, this time on my forearm from helping a settler get their generator up and running. I wondered what Jay would think of these changes.

 _"_ _What would Dan think of the scars? My body?"_ I wondered.

By the time I stepped from the bath, dried my hair and body, and buttoned up the dress, night had fallen over Sanctuary. I walked home slowly, enjoying the evening breeze and hearty greetings from my friends and neighbors here at home. Dan passed by, and let me know that he too was off to bathe. I told him that I'd be waiting for him at home.

On our way here from Diamond City, I'd been thinking about the dilemma of pursuing Dan more aggressively, or letting him set the pace. I loved him, and wanted him to trust me with his heart as well. When he came back, it was time for a talk about what the future held for us. I was waiting in my bed for him. My nerves were shot while I waited for Dan, but now seemed the right time.

"Honey, I'm home!" came after a knock at the door and a chuckle over his greeting.

"Dan, I'm back in the bedroom. Can we talk?" I called to him, my voice wavering from nervousness.

His footfalls reached the hallway leading to where I was. He came into my bedroom haltingly. It had been awhile since I had seen him cleaned up and in fresh clothes. We had both been more road weary than we thought. Dan sat on the edge of my bed, and looked inquisitively at me.

"I love you. You know that, right?" I started.

He kissed me tenderly, and said that he knew I loved him, and that he loved me in return. I patted the bed next to me, hoping he would lay down and relax with me. Without hesitation, Dan took me in his arms. I could hear his heartbeat as I laid my head on his chest.

This was home, right here with him.

"Dan, stay with me? I need you. In every way." I whispered, shyness overcoming me.

He had been absentmindedly running his fingers through my hair, and halted before answering.

"I've never made love before. You know that. Hell, I'd given up dreaming that I would one day. Are you certain, love?" he asked.

"I know, I know, sweetheart. I don't need you to have been down this road before. I need _you_. Just as you are." I said while I caressed his face.

We had never progressed beyond that day he ran from my home, flustered by my boldness. Even I was nervous about taking this next step in our relationship. I'd never been with anyone but my husband. I felt like I was standing at the edge of a cliff, debating whether or not to leap.

Dan leaned over me, and blew out the candle on the nightstand. I could feel the tremble in his body, a thrumming that went through both of us. He took a deep breath, and as he kissed me, he began unbuttoning my dress. My breathing came faster, moans of sweet anticipation between kisses. My fingers fumbled on the buttons of his shirt, and before I could get much further, Dan took my hands in his.

"I look the same all over. The scars, the burns. I just want to…prepare you." he said, his voice quaking with what sounded like fear.

"Don't you worry, sweetheart. I want to see all of you." I said. I couldn't conceal my desire and need any longer.

We went slow, and savored each moment. As badly as I wanted him, I knew he had waited a long time for this. I wanted it to be special for him.

The night breeze wafted over my bare skin, bringing goosebumps along with it. The heat of Dan's skin against mine made a delicious contrast to the chill in the autumn air. He trailed wet kisses down from the nape of my neck to my breasts. He looked up at me, our eyes locking. All traces of hesitation were gone from his face, and lust shone in his eyes. I tried to rise up on my elbows, but Dan very gently pushed me back down. My breath hitched in my throat as his warm tongue swirled over first one nipple, then the other. My hands went to the back of his head, stroking down to his shoulders. The lines of his jagged skin beneath my fingers felt so different than what I'd been accustomed to. I loved his immediate reaction to my touch, and his was like fire against my body. I coaxed him over onto his side, and finished removing his clothes.

"I shouldn't be the only one of us laying here nude." I laughed.

"I know I've already asked, but you're sure? I'm a ghoul, and you're…" he said before I interrupted him:

"You're the man I love. Now hush, and hold me."

He kept the distance between us until I pulled him over, pressing myself against him. Dan groaned as I traced my fingers slowly along the evidence of his desire. He asked what came next, and I must admit that I felt somewhat intimidated by his lack of bedroom knowledge.

"Let me show you instead." I whispered, taking the length his cock in my hand.

He buried his face in my neck, his sighs coming faster and faster in time with my strokes. As he came, he murmured words of love into my ear. Dan pulled me even closer to him, and I draped my leg over his. It felt as though we both wanted to melt into each other. Watching his face while he recovered from his orgasm, I took his hand and gently pressed it to my cheek.

"That was amazing. You…I love you, Brenna. It's my turn to express to you just how much." he said, his voice husky with need.

The friction of his hands on my thighs as he slowly spread them apart was unlike anything I'd experienced before. In a way, this was a first for us both. He slid his hand over my pussy, and slowly pressed one, then two fingers into me.

"You're so slick and hot. Oh my love…" Dan sighed, his head resting on my stomach.

He quickly figured out the ways I loved to be touched. With a gentle stroke, he had me squirming beneath his hand. I ran my fingers down to his wrist, squeezing tighter when the waves of my own orgasm hit.

Before long, Dan was ready again, and he easily settled his body over mine. I wrapped my legs around his back, the feeling of his rough skin over my most sensitive areas ramping up my need for him. He pushed his hips forward, but hesitated just as the tip of his manhood entered my molten core. He rested himself on his forearms, planting tender kisses on my lips and neck.

"Brenna, you're certain you want this? That you want me?" he asked quietly.

"Daniel, do you love me? As much as I love you?" I replied, using his given name without truly realizing it.

"With all that I am." he said.

"If you love me, then love me." I whispered, slowly drawing his cock into me with gentle pressure from my legs around his middle.

Every inch of him felt better than the last. I was unprepared for just how big he was, pain and pleasure dancing together along every nerve in my body. I couldn't restrain the little gasp from it, and he stopped immediately.

"Am I hurting you?" he asked, concern written all over his face.

"Not at all, sweetheart. Quite the opposite." I told him.

We started slowly, letting my body adjust to his. He sighed in his pleasure, and told me just how much he loved me as he thrust harder into me. I whimpered as we began to move faster, my hips matching his rhythm with ease. I felt my orgasm building, and urged him to push harder. Dan pressed his forehead to mine, and we came as one. I was helpless to do anything but cling to him and cry his name over and over again.

The next morning, in the dim light of dawn, I woke and savored the strength of my lover's arms around me. Dan snored, and I found it absolutely adorable. I eased myself from his embrace. A smile touched my face when I noticed that I hadn't disturbed his rest.

 _"_ _Wore the poor guy out."_ I thought, contented with the reasons for his exhaustion.

I dressed for the day, and went to the kitchen purely out of habit. My hands on the countertop, I noticed a sparkle from the corner of my eye. The sunlight had caught my engagement ring, the diamonds sending reflected light across my arm like an accusation. My eyes closed, I slid the two rings from my finger, clenching them in my palm. Taking an embroidered handkerchief from the kitchen drawer, I wrapped my rings up and tucked them safely away.

"I'm so sorry. You're so far away, and he's right here. With me. Please forgive me." I said quietly, almost like a whispered prayer.

Needing his presence, I slid back into bed until Dan woke up. It gladdened my heart to see his smile and hear him say that his first experiences with making love had been the best night of his life. Coming from a man his age, it meant so much. After a quick breakfast, we left our home to find our band of misfit detectives and come up with a plan.

We spotted the Strykers waiting outside the Complex. Arm in arm, we headed their way. Ollie was standing at the foot of the steps that led up to the first floor of the Complex itself, which sat atop Nate's former home, and that of his long dead neighbors. Mel laughed at his pose, hands on his hips so that it mimicked hers.

"Sugarpie, get your pampered ass in gear! I know you're fixing your hair up there!" Ollie shouted.

We could all hear the smattering of giggles at Elliot's expense echoing from the upper floors, followed by stomping that could only mean he was indeed getting his ass in gear for Ollie's sake.

I felt Dan shift his grip on me, and lean down to offer his hand to a German shepherd that had trotted over to us.

"Hey there, buddy. Where's your master?" Dan said to the dog nudging his hand that wasn't currently cupping my hip.

The four of us turned in the direction of the footsteps pounding the pavement towards us. Piper had the look of a woman not to be trifled with.

"Daniel, I was looking for you! And you, Zombie. Blue has been hiding something from me, and I need you to help me find out just what the hell is happening to him." she demanded.

Mel raised an eyebrow before either of us could answer. She informed Piper that Nick would be her better option.

"Too bad Nicky has gone missing, right? I know you were sniffing around Diamond City. Time to play detective ourselves and get him back." Piper announced.

"Looks like we finally found our clue." Elliot said while coming down the steps toward us.

Found our clue indeed. The hunt for Nick just got more interesting.


	23. Fetch, Girl

"Piper, get this gods be damned beast away from me!" I yelled for about the fortieth time that afternoon.

The laughter from the other six people with me only served to aggravate me even more. Dogmeat attempted once again to glean some affection from me, shoving his head underneath my hand. I've always disliked dogs, and the creatures all seemed to sense it. I'd never met a dog that refrained from whining, making faces that most folks found endearing, and cuddling up to me until I'd give it a token pat and send it on its way back to its owner. However, this dog was relentless. There were plenty of others here to get attention from. Why me?

Sandra patted her legs, and Dogmeat went running to her. Piper said her oft repeated assertion that the animal had followed her out of concern for Nate. I didn't doubt that; the dog did appear to be more intelligent than most of its kind. Still, I wished she would keep it nearer to her instead of me.

After nearly two weeks on the road, we'd gotten few hints as to Nick's whereabouts. Piper had directed us to the Abernathy farm first, thinking that it'd be a good start after the fond tales Nate would share about "those damn Abernathys" needing his repeated assistance in the early days of his life outside of the vault. She knew from both man and synth that Nate often traveled with Nick alone back then. Surely the settlers would remember something that might help.

Turns out that Blake Abernathy, patriarch of the farm, could only send us on to the next place he could guess Nick may have gone. Greentop Nursery had become a thriving settlement thanks to Nate's help. Daniel confirmed that he'd seen the pair many times at the nursery during his trade route stops. One of the farmers, Rebecca Morrison, had taken a shine to Nick. Both Daniel and Blake thought she might be more helpful than some of the other folks we'd spoken to outside of the settlements along our way.

It was near sunset when we approached the nursery. As we crossed into sight of Greentop, a woman called out to us.

"Danny! We've missed you!" she squealed.

"Hey Becks! Good to see you again." Daniel replied.

The source of the happy voice came running at us, and practically jumped into my man's arms. Daniel swung her around, and set her back on the ground. The ghoul woman, wearing a vivid yellow sundress and combat boots, took in the rest of our group, and immediately zeroed in on me.

"Are you Brenna? You must be. Danny has spoken so well of you every time he stops by." Rebecca said, thrusting out her hand for a fist bump.

I couldn't help but smile at her infectious bubbly personality. That there yet remained people in this world who were ever the optimist astonished me. To have hope and joy despite all the hardship was a beautiful sight to behold. I returned her greeting, tapped her fist with mine, and then turned my smile over to Daniel. He reached out for my hand, twining his fingers together with mine. Rebecca looked between the two of us, and hugged first Daniel and then me.

"Ahhhh. Danny, wait. This is the mystery woman you fell in love with?" she asked with a knowing smirk.

"Oh really? He talked about me? I've gotta hear this." I asked both of them.

Before Daniel could be further embarrassed, Sandra jumped in. She got right to the heart of the matter, and asked if Rebecca could tell us anything about Nick, or if she'd seen Nate acting strangely in the recent past. Piper seemed to be barely restraining herself from jumping down the poor woman's throat in her determination to figure out what was going on with her lover's behavior and Nick's disappearance. Sensing the tension in the air, Dogmeat went and sat at Rebecca's feet.

"Hey Dogmeat! Thought you were on my side." Piper said, unbelievably sounding disappointed in the animal's choice of loyalty at the moment.

The dog cocked his head to better look at Piper's eyes, and whined as if to say that Rebecca had nothing to do with Nate acting oddly and Piper should know that.

"You know, before we haul this poor woman in for questioning, we oughta make acquaintances." Mel interjected.

Daniel introduced us all in turn, saving me for last. Rebecca told us to call her 'Becks' just as Daniel had. Elliot, always the fool, took her hand and kissed it before asking her to show us to a private place to talk. The girlish smile she favored him with told us all we needed to know. McAllister was one smooth operator when he wanted to be.

"Looks like I may not be the only one of us to fall for a ghoul." I said, nudging Daniel playfully with my elbow.

"Best place for a quiet chat is on the lookout platform on top of the greenhouse. I'm on guard duty anyway. Or I was supposed to be, at least." Becks said, sounding a bit sheepish at having left her post to greet us.

When we reached the ladders that led up to the platform, Elliot told Becks to head up first so he could 'better enjoy the view'.

"Where the hell did you find this guy? He's a piece of…" Piper started to say before Ollie interrupted her.

"Work. A piece of work. And we stole him from the Brotherhood of Steel. Don't tell Danse." he said deadpan, trying to avoid laughing as hard as his wife was.

"He's from the Brotherhood? Why would you…" Piper squawked in surprise before Elliot's voice trickled down from the top of the ladder.

" _Former_ Brotherhood. And I seem to remember rescuing you from the Prydwyn, Stryker." he said irritably.

Becks peered over the edge of the greenhouse at the men.

"Ok boys. Time to put your dicks away. We all know I have the biggest one here." she said, her voice strong with authority.

I looked at Daniel and grinned.

"I like her." I said.

"Figured you would." he replied with a smile.

Soon we were all on the roof, including Dogmeat, who got boosted up by a doting Sandra. One look around was all it took to see that the farmers here were well protected. Turrets of varying types pointed in each cardinal direction, and various traps ringed the rear of the greenhouse itself. A quick glance through Helga's newly improved scope told me that a supermutant camp wasn't too far from the Minutemen settlement. That explained the extra security measures.

Some industrious person had placed sleeping bags for those who stood watch to rotate amongst for rest. A living room set consisting of two chairs and a couch sat in the middle of the platform, illuminated by the swiveling spotlights. Becks led us over to the seating area, and asked us to make ourselves comfortable while she checked the perimeter.

Once Rebecca had climbed back down and was on patrol, I asked Piper what she thought we ought to ask about first. She was the one most impacted by Nick's disappearance. He was the only link we knew of that might possibly know what had gotten into Nate, or at least be able to sniff out what that might be. We needed Valentine too, and it seemed going with Piper might be our best bet as far as finding him went.

"I'm not sure, Zombie. Asking if she's seen either of them seems to be the most obvious choice, but it may not be the _right_ one. The one that will get us answers that matter. I need the truth, not a pretty lie." she answered.

"Dare I ask why you call my lady 'Zombie'?" Daniel said, glaring in Piper's direction.

"Don't worry about it. I'll explain later. So what about those questions? I can see Becks on her way back, so you'd better come up with something fast." I said, not wanting Daniel to hear the details of my arrival from anyone but me.

I turned towards the clunk of heavy boots on the ladder just in time to see our potential "question victim" step up onto the platform watch tower. Noting our conspiratorial faces, Becks switched from happy go lucky to tough as nails in the blink of an eye. It was quite remarkable, really. This ghoul was much more formidable than she let on. One glance at my lover told me he knew this side of her, and was proud of it.

 _"_ _Oh boy. What have we gotten ourselves into?"_ I thought.

"I see you were all busy discussing whatever brought you here in the first place." Becks said, one hip cocked to her side with a fist planted firmly against it.

"Gorgeous, and a mind reader. I may just be in love." Elliot swooned from the sleeping bag he had plopped himself on.

"Shut it, Sugarpie." said Ollie, looking for all the world as if for once in his life he didn't want a confrontation.

"Ok dickfuck, I'm done with this 'Sugarpie' bullshit." Elliot growled at Ollie as he got up from his sleeping bag.

Ollie leaned back further into Mel's lap as the angry former Brotherhood scribe towered over him, and a devious smirk bloomed to life on his face. I couldn't believe that these two were still vying for alpha male status.

"Alrighty then. Buttweasel it is instead. We'll put it to the group. Sugarpie versus Buttweasel. Just write your anonymous vote on the ballot and pass them on over to Dan to tally." Ollie said coolly.

"Don't drag me into this, Stryker." Daniel said, his chin resting on the top of my head as we snuggled up on the couch.

"Anyone ever tell you guys that you're all a bit crazy?" Piper said, her exasperation quite evident.

"It's our best feature, don't you think?" Mel said.

"Never has a more honest statement been made." Sandra added, sounding less than thrilled with the prospect of us gaining the reputation of insane people.

A pistol shot rang out in the night, and we all twisted towards the sound. Dogmeat leapt from Sandra's lap, and trotted over to Becks, the gun she had just fired pointing skyward in her hand. Elliot stood frozen, his fist still pulled back as he was preparing to punch Ollie. Sandra tugged on the back of his shirt, and told him to sit down and shut up.

"Thanks, beautiful. Now, if I don't have to shoot anyone, I'd love an explanation." Becks ordered.

"Nick Valentine has gone missing. From what we've been able to find out, he dropped right off the map nearly four months ago at worst, and 6 weeks at best, depending on who you talk to. I remember that night last autumn here with you two, and I thought maybe he had come back to see you at some point. At least that was my hope. I think we all would've rather found him here still in… Well, with you anyways." Daniel said, blushing at the last words he stammered over.

"Nicky's gone?" Becks asked, worry and fear swirling together in her voice and her eyes.

I motioned for her to come sit by us, and Becks flopped onto the couch with a sigh. Everyone on the rooftop, Dogmeat included, waited for her to speak. The shock on her face told us all that she had information we were looking for.

"When was he last here with you?" I asked gently.

"He came here about three months ago. We spent a few nights together before he took off again. Nicky had been on cloud nine when he showed up, but back to his usual 'knight in shining trench coat' routine the day he left." Becks said.

Some of her words clicked home in my mind.

"Whoa. Hold up. 'Spent a few nights together'? Are you and Nick…?" I faltered, hoping I'd been wrong in my assumption.

A devilish grin spread across her face.

"I believe the term you're looking for is 'intimate partners'." Becks said, obviously delighting in my shock and discomfort.

"Fuck." I said, because really, there were no other words.

"Exactly!" Mel snorted.

Becks patted my knee, and said that she and Nick had been off again, on again lovers for the better part of the last year. Whenever their relationship had been "in a cooling phase" as she put it, she'd find someone else to warm her bed. I sat there, slack jawed, before telling her that I'd never met another person as self-assured as her. What I really wanted to say is that I couldn't imagine how the mechanics of that would work out. No pun intended.

"Did he say anything to you about Nate? Anything at all that sticks out in your mind?" Piper asked eagerly.

"Not specifically, no. He only said that he'd resolved a long dead cold case with a former partner, and he was behaving much more…self-confident when he came to me. Said something about a guy named Winter getting his just rewards, whatever that meant." Becks shared, a look of concentration on her face.

"Last thing he said to me back in Diamond City was that he was heading out on personal business. Maybe that was it?" I suggested.

"Blue used to work with Nicky on some of his problem cases last year. I can't imagine that would contribute to his behavior though. When's the last time you've seen Nate, Becks?" Piper asked.

"About eight months ago, I think. He seemed preoccupied. Nate asked all of us what we knew about the Institute. None of us had the answers he was looking for, I guess." she replied.

I looked over my shoulder at Daniel, and whispered to him, asking if he had any ideas about the right line of questioning. He shrugged, and said that the only thing he could think of was if Becks knew about anyone else Nick may have gone off to rescue from the depths of nefarious mystery. I rubbed his arms that were around me, and told him quietly that he ought to ask that one.

Just as he opened his mouth, Piper jumped in.

"Ok so we know Nick left here seemingly on another case. Blue was likely with him on the last case, this Winter one. Who might Nick have gone to if he was on the tail of another mystery?" she asked.

"He was heading in the direction of The Slog when he left my bed. Best bet is that he was off to talk to someone there. Wiseman always has his ear to the heartbeat of the Commonwealth. Maybe Nicky needed some information that he had." Becks said.

"The Slog? Is that another settlement?" I asked. I was still learning about the Commonwealth every day it seemed.

From above my ear, Dan told me about the tarberry farm run by ghouls. It was one of his favorite stops on his trade route, but that I'd missed his run there in the weeks we'd traveled together before we'd fallen in love.

"Then we're off to the farm, I guess. Are you sure that's the direction he went, Becks?" asked Sandra doubtfully.

"Absolutely. I watched him through my sniper rifle scope as he was passing the hive of greenskin aberrations near us. Took out more than a few for him to have clear passage. He looked back at me and tipped his hat like he always does before resuming his departure." she told us.

"Let's go, people. Now." Piper demanded.

"Hell no we're not! It's only just become night. I'm not running through the dark to chase after your lover." I said indignantly.

Everyone began speaking at once, arguing this way or that about the merits of nighttime travel. Ultimately, the group would stay put until dawn arrived. Becks directed most of us to the group home set up behind the main building on the settlement. Once the others had been dropped off, she led Daniel and I to a small private little shelter on the far side of the public house. Once again, traps swooped around the perimeter, and a missile turret could be spotted up in the trees.

"I figured you two lovebirds would appreciate a little privacy. Catch ya later!" Becks said brightly as she left.

"Well I can't argue with that." Daniel said as he swept me up into his arms and crossed the threshold.

I couldn't help but giggle as we entered the cozy little shack. We snuffed out the little lamp next to the bed, and thoroughly enjoyed each other's company before calling it a night.

I woke to a knock on the shelter's door. Disentangling myself from a groggy Daniel, I wrapped a spare blanket around me before opening the door. One of the farmers had brought us some steaming hot coffee and razorgrain mush. It was the closest approximation to oatmeal in this world, and I had become accustomed to it. He had thrown in a good handful of tarberries, and I must admit that the breakfast in bed was a welcome gift.

After Daniel and I had eaten and dressed, we joined the others. All of us had armored up, and gathered our weapons and necessities for our journey to The Slog. The Strykers wanted to set out the same way Valentine had, and eliminate the supermutants along our way. Piper thought they had a good point in starting our search the same way the synth had gone. Elliot wanted to skirt around the mutants as much as possible, and Sandra agreed with him. While we were debating over the best path, Becks rushed over to us. The ghoul had switched her bright sundress for some serious armor, the chest piece crafted from what appeared to be an umpire's protective gear. There was a certain irony to her sporting what once obviously belonged to a Diamond City security guard.

"Seems like you guys need some muscle in your hunt for Nick. I certainly would love to see the look on his synthetic face at the little army you've gathered, Brenna. Let's head out!" Becks announced.

I had no convincing argument that would keep her here at Greentop. Looks like our group had become like an avalanche, gaining power as it crashed down. Dogmeat pranced joyfully around the eight of us. The dog was ready to take on whatever he must to get his human of choice back.

The two sharpshooters in our group, Becks and Sandra, climbed up to the little sniper's nest in a tall tree next to the mutant side of the farm. As the rest of us formed up and went into the mutant camp with guns blazing, I felt like we had finally turned into a fairly intimidating team.

"I've such a load of grenades now. Here, help carry them!" Mel shouted and laughed as she tossed her payload of frags at the first line of greenskins to come our way.

Elliot hid behind another tree, leaning out from cover to land precise shots with his laser rifle. Daniel's incendiary pistol made quick work of the less armored mutants. I was excited to finally give my new gun a whirl.

"Say hello to my little friend!" I screeched. I'd always wanted to use that old movie line.

I was somewhat surprised at the kickback as I fired off the .44 that Elliot had given me. Instead of it making me question my abilities, it brought on a feeling of strength and determination. I needed to become a more proficient fighter if I were to stay in this world even longer than I already had. I was very glad that I had practiced reloading the pistol during our downtimes. What had initially been a slow and fumbling process now went smoothly.

One of the huge mutants on the roof nearest to us hoisted an equally huge weapon onto its shoulder. My memory flew back to that first attack on Sanctuary, and the weapon I had discovered near the playground. The freak was preparing to fire off a Fat Boy, and send a mini nuke our way. I lined up the mutant in the sights of my .44, and shouted to the rest of my party so that they could either take cover, or assist. Remembering some of MacCready's tricks, I took a deep breath and held it before firing.

The airborne explosion shuddered the very breath in our lungs. Every living creature on the ground involuntarily ducked down. In the space of a few heartbeats, the battle resumed. During those few precious seconds though, I'd felt my heart roar with joy at my accomplishment. I had taken out both the nuke and the greenie who wielded it. I'd protected my own, and there was precious little else that could bring such pride.

Time resumed its rapid pace in my own perceptions, and before I could jump out of its path, a bullet grazed my shoulder. I gritted my teeth, cursed to myself, and killed the bastard mutant who had shot me.

 _"_ _There will be time enough to deal with this soon."_ I thought.

The blood trickled down my arm and dripped onto the pistol. Oddly enough, it felt absolutely right that my life force would join with my source of inflicting the same damage on others.

Silence fell over me, and it dawned on me that the battle had been won. Daniel came running to my side with Dogmeat hot on his heels. Becks and Sandra had climbed down out of the sniper perch, and were checking in on the others. Piper had sustained a minor wound as well.

"Next time someone aims at a nuke and tells you to duck, fucking duck alright?" admonished Becks.

"Yeah, yeah. Maybe next time I'll just hide up in the trees with you instead." snarked Piper until the stimpak and Med-x hit her system.

Daniel smoothed my sweaty hair out of my face, and carefully injected the same medicines into my shoulder. As the burning pain subsided, I relaxed more and more into his arms.

"Can't even make it a few miles away from home, can we?" sighed Elliot, obviously frustrated that we weren't battle hardened warriors yet.

"Hey, man. I shot a nuke. Shot. A. Nuke! I'd say that counts for something." I slurred, the pain medication doing its job quite nicely.

"Come on, hero. Let's get up and running again, shall we?" Elliot said, sliding one arm underneath mine and assisting Daniel as the guys lifted me up from the dirt.

Still somewhat high, I left the fighting to the rest of my friends along the way to The Slog. We made excellent time, and came marching down towards what looked to be a public pool about an hour before twilight arrived. I could just make out the fruits floating across the top of the pool water, and the silhouettes of farmers hard at work in the garden area nearby. One of these outlines raised a hand and waved a greeting towards us.

"Dan! Just the ghoul we wanted to see!" came a friendly shout from the waving figure.

Piper slowed her steps to join Daniel and I.

"Is that Wiseman?" she asked, her ace reporter side about to surface.

"Sure sounds like him. Have you met before? He's a really kind guy with a strong sense of community and is a pacifist, believe it or not." Dan replied.

We neared the berry filled pool, and the ghoul in charge came striding over to our group. An air of anticipation and of expectation crackled in the air between each member of my team. Wiseman shook hands with all of us, and then passed a folded note over to Piper.

"Ms. Wright, I presume? Valentine's description of you was spot on. Not that I'd expect anything less from him." he added with a chuckle.

Before she even opened the letter, Piper asked what it contained. He said that he had no idea as he "doesn't go around opening other folks' stuff". Piper tore open the folded note from Nick, and went pale. She passed it over to me, and sat down on a nearby bench while I read.

In neat Palmer script, the letter began:

 _"_ _Piper, I knew you'd come out this way eventually. Knowing people's instincts can sometimes come in handy._

 _To you, and to the others with you- don't try to fake it, Piper- don't worry. I've gone on to C.I.T. to find the answers I've been searching for since Nate took a turn for the worse. He's always been a bit of a blowhard at times, but lately he's been a whole other man._

 _Save your concerns for when we undoubtedly meet again, crack reporter. I will find out what's going on, even if it's the last thing I do. Let the others know that I'm still hunting for the answers they are seeking. We will go over the case later._

 _Your most effective detective,_

 _Nick Valentine"_

"Shit." I said, adding "I'm starting to feel like this is a twisted fetch quest. What say you, mutt?"

Dogmeat whined, and looked over towards the location of the ruined college. That settled it. After we rested, it was off to school we go. Pack me a lunch then. Preferably tarberries.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **So I feel like this may not have been my strongest chapter. Serves me right for writing while battling the flu. Despite feeling like a large dish of poo, I thought the chapter was decent enough to publish. In any case, I hope you'll hang around for more. Nick's rescue squad is on the way, and the adventure picks up the pace.**


	24. My Funny Valentine

The fire crackled, and Wiseman's concoction of herbs and berries was nearly finished. In the chill wind, some fireside tea surrounded by friends, both old and new, was revitalizing. Despite the sense of urgency, or perhaps because of it, I had insisted on taking two nights as guests of The Slog before heading into the midst of danger again. Being well rested would keep us sharp more than pure adrenaline would.

"Think we'll really find Nick?" asked Daniel.

"I genuinely don't know. He didn't exactly leave us much to go on. Yeah, he's at the college, but for what exactly? Will he be leaving C.I.T. or searching for something that would keep him there? See what I mean?" I answered.

"I wouldn't worry personally. Valentine is nothing if not resourceful. I'm sure that whatever he encountered, whatever reason he had to go to C.I.T., he'll be there when you arrive. Wouldn't have left a note otherwise." Wiseman said as he dished out his tea into salvaged mugs for all of us.

"I'm just not as certain. Something feels wrong about all of this. Nicky is off to find out why has Blue been acting out of character, but also has a lead or even just additional basic information on your case? Sounds like pure bullshit." Piper said, accepting a steaming teacup from Wiseman.

The hot mug in my hands felt wonderful, especially after helping out harvesting tarberries for The Slog's residents to sell. The cold water in the pool may be great for the fruit but not so much for human hands. As I sipped the berry-sweetened tea in the unexpectedly quiet evening, my mind rolled several ideas and plans around. Realizing that I didn't know Nick even a fraction as well as many of the people I was sitting and traveling with was the first step. I may have had my own guesses about what the next morning would bring when we packed up and left the pleasant atmosphere of the ghoul-run farm, but they were pure speculation.

"I'm gonna go find Becks. She can better answer some of the questions I have, I think." I said, standing up and passing my now empty mug to Wiseman.

He refilled my cup, and offered to come with me. I looked over at Daniel, and he said he would be packing up our things back at the common house while he waited for me to come back to him. I kissed Daniel goodbye, and told him I'd be back soon. Wiseman and I said our goodnights to everyone else around the fire, and with a parting pat of Dogmeat's head, we left to find Becks. She had mostly kept to herself during our stay, even politely brushing off Daniel's attempts to draw her out of the funk she was in.

We walked around the perimeter of the farm while sipping our tea, and Wiseman spoke of the Nate he knew which was certainly not the man I'd dealt with. His Nate had been interested in helping others, and seemed to get along with almost everyone he encountered. However, Valentine's assessment of Nate being a blowhard at times turned out to be true. According to Wiseman, Nate could be difficult to be around if he felt he was absolutely correct even if that perception of right versus wrong turned out to be false.

I snorted and said "That sounds more like he was pigheaded over being right no matter what. I've known men like that before."

I omitted the part where I could be the same. There's a good reason that my husband would say "happy wife, happy life".

"Sometimes, I suppose. But the Nate you and others have described just seems implausible. Piper has been loyal to a fault when it comes to her 'Blue'. Looks like she needs to believe that whatever happened to cause the change in not just his behavior but personality as well will pass if she can find the right answer as to why. The whys don't always matter though. Particularly in a man like Nate. I don't know why he changed so much but if I know him, and I believe I do, then there's not much that would return the old Nate to her." he said.

"Now I can see why they call you Wiseman. You definitely have wisdom to spare, my friend." I said, appreciating his insight.

By that point, we had searched all the places we assumed Becks could be. The woman wasn't anywhere on the farm. Wiseman said there was a building nearby that housed a group of fanatics who called themselves the Forged.

"I don't necessarily think this may be true, based on what little I know of the woman, but she may have gone over to the Saugus Ironworks building. Taking out her frustration and fear in a violent fashion. We periodically hear explosions and shouting from that direction so it could be just the usual racket instead." Wiseman guessed.

"Seriously? Fuck my life." I sighed.

I wasn't about to take on a group that holed up in a large building like the Ironworks alone, even if I did have a million questions for Becks. On the other hand, I didn't particularly want to have anyone else in earshot when I spoke with her. But that looked to be off the table due to my still lacking battle skills.

"Hey, wait up!" called Elliot from behind me.

"McAllister, what now?" I asked.

I had a decent feeling as to why he needed to speak with me. He had been uncharacteristically silent around the fireside tea party.

"I overheard what that ghoul said about Becks. I want to come with you." he stated.

I frowned and said "The ghoul has a name, you know."

Elliot scowled right back at me, and told me that was nowhere near to the point. I sighed and conceded defeat.

 _"_ _You can take the man out of the Brotherhood, but you can't take the Brotherhood out of the man. Something like that. Selective bigotry in his case."_ I thought.

The two of us should work out ok, always assuming that these "Forged" idiots were more fanatical than barbaric. While McAllister was ready to head out, I most certainly was not.

"I'm heading back to the common house to gear up. Stay put." I ordered.

"Whatever, boss." Elliot said sarcastically.

Once I was back in the corner of the large metal pre-fabricated house where our stuff was stored, I irritably gathered up my armor and weapons. The commotion I made drew Melissa's attention.

"You going somewhere fun?" she asked, a devilish grin spreading across her face.

"Only you would find peril fun, Mel. But yes, I'm heading over to the Saugus Ironworks to look for Becks." I replied.

"Sweet. I'll be right back. Gotta grab more of my lovelies." she said, dashing away for her bags.

In just a matter of moments, she ran back to me, her belts stuffed full with grenades of several varieties. I always wondered in the back of my mind just why Mel favored these weapons, but didn't quite have the courage to ask. We headed back to where I'd had Elliot wait for me. I had some doubts about our ability to handle whoever was holed up at the ironworks with just the three of us, but I also didn't want to endanger anyone else.

"Be at the ready, guys. I've heard these assholes like burny things." said Mel the explosives queen.

Once we neared the foundry, the Forged wasted no time in coming right after us. I was surprised, although I shouldn't have been, to see that these people came equipped with flame throwers. Mel was right about their preferences.

"Make for the field office for cover! We'll have to work together!" McAllister yelled, pointing to a small freestanding building that was very reminiscent of early model campers.

Two of the Forged were giving chase as we sprinted towards the Quonset-esque structure. The flickering light of their flames illuminated our intended path. Just as Elliot and Melissa reached the top of the small set of stairs leading into the field office, an explosion bombarded the ground around us. The concussive force sent me reeling backwards. The wind was knocked from me as I hit the ground flat on my back several feet away from my partners in this mad dash to find Rebecca.

I struggled to get to my feet, gasping and wheezing like a fish out of water. I thanked every deity I knew for the gun still grasped tightly in my hand. Just as I turned to defend myself against the two women at my rear, one of their heads exploded into a mist of blood and gray matter. I felt the searing temperature of another flamethrower across the exposed skin of my arms as I aimed at my attacker. My .44 made quick work of the remaining Forged's abdomen.

Elliot had climbed atop the office, and was shooting at the man on the Ironworks' rooftop. I saw why I had been floored, so to speak. The pyromaniac wielded a missile launcher, but lacked decent aim. Our Brotherhood trained companion seemed to have just about as much luck as the other man. We saw that Elliot had gotten the man's arms, one leg, and his chest but not near enough to his heart. The Forged fired again, but the missile went wild. One laser rifle shot to the head later, and the night was silenced.  
"What the hell, McAllister! I know you're a better marksman than that. You put us all at risk." Mel growled at Elliot.  
A merciless smile bloomed on his face before he spoke softly.  
"Who said I was missing my intended shots?" he asked.  
"Stone cold, McAllister. Stone cold." I said, feeling unsettled by his response to Mel.  
"C'mon. Let's get this over with and find Becks." Mel said, stomping off towards the large factory.

Once we approached the hefty door into the building, Elliot and I stood to the left of the entryway and Mel took the right. A nod from me signaled the other two. Mel and I kicked in our respective doors to the best of our abilities. We underestimated the weight of the metal, and they merely creaked inward.  
"Well shit." I muttered.  
I carefully crept through the partially opened door, and was met with waves of heat from the furnaces within. McAllister and Stryker weren't far behind me. The preternatural hush that greeted us was not at all what we'd expected. My arms began to sink back to my sides, the .44 held between them aiming more towards the floor.  
"At attention, soldier." Elliot whispered from behind me as his hands guided mine back to shooting stance.  
"Guys, come look at this shit!" Mel called out from where she crouched.  
I leaned over her to see what she had found. Nearly a dozen bodies had come to fall at the bottom of the stairs leading upwards to the next level. While some had sustained fatal gunshot wounds, most looked to have been gutted like fish. The knife gashes were too numerous to count. There lay no doubt in my mind that they had been inflicted by our ghoul friend. It gave me an inkling of the rage she was in upon entering this place.  
"Looks like Wiseman's guess was correct. I hope she's ok. We've gotta find her before she gets careless from her emotions." I said.  
"Don't start dreaming of damsel in distress situations that involve you as the proverbial knight in shining power armor, Elliot." Mel said, frowning at Becks' would-be rescuer.

"Can't blame a guy for trying!" he responded.

I found a broken off length of sheet metal that had come from the rafters above, and used it to start shoving the bodies aside. Elliot mentioned that we really could've hopped over them instead but by then I'd already made some decent progress at clearing the way. Once the carnage had been scooted over, we began our ascent as quietly as possible. Much like breadcrumbs from some old children's story, we found the dead sprinkled along the way. It was becoming increasingly difficult to believe a single person had done this.

"More of you sonofabitches! Come and get some!" came a croak from the overturned desks off to our right.

"Oh puh-leeeeze, honey. You couldn't handle this." Mel said while lobbing a baseball towards the voice.

I was stunned when the ball exploded, taking out the wounded Forged and the desks as well. I looked over at Elliot, and he had an expression on his face that I couldn't define.  
"I'll give you points for effectiveness, but dock some for excessiveness. Seriously, Melissa. You've got such a hard-on for the damn grenades! Cut it the fuck out indoors." he growled.

"Stop being so jealous, baby. Just because my fire power is better than yours is no cause for turning so green." she sassed back at him.  
"Enough, you two. Let's keep moving. I want to get out of this sweltering tomb sooner rather than later." I told them both.  
With an annoyed huff from Elliot, the three of us made the final staircase to the top floor. The disquieting calm was broken by the faint sound of sobbing in the distance.

"Shit. So much for hoping she'd be ok. Let's deal with whoever hurt her." Elliot said with a tinge of revenge in his tone.

Mel and I simply nodded and continued on towards the crying. Weapons drawn, we reached the final door.  
"On my mark. One…two…" McAllister intoned, throwing wide the door between him and his romantic interest.

This cavernous room was immensely hot; more so than the rest of the Saugus Ironworks interior. As before, several bodies were strewn about the walkways. In the midst of them kneeled Rebecca. She had curled up in a fetal position, and sobs wracked her body.  
"Goddamnit Nicky. Why did you do this to me? Why put yourself in so much danger? And without me by your side..." she moaned quietly between crying jags.

"Hey. You need a hand up, gorgeous?" asked Elliot, more soft spoken than I'd ever heard from him.

A few sniffles later, Becks nodded the affirmative and took Elliot's offered hand. He very gently lifted the woman from the metal grating we were standing on. To all our surprise, she threw her arms around him and collapsed against his chest, more tears pouring down her face. None of us looked quite as shocked as Elliot, who hesitated briefly before comforting Becks as best he could.

Mel and I stepped back out into the hallway to wait for our friends. In hushed tones, we discussed our options and felt maybe it would be best if Becks stayed behind at the Slog. It was apparent that she wasn't exactly in the best emotional state to continue our hunt for Nick. It would have to be something we decided as a group though. There was no doubt about the ghoul's battle skills and intellect being boons to our party but would that be enough?

Mel gave me a "shut the hell up now" glance as we heard footfalls behind us. Becks and Elliot approached us, and in silence, we continued our exit from the foundry. Once we stepped out into the midnight air, an impossibly enormous full moon shone above us like a beacon. I heard the sound of Becks drawing deep sucks of the fresh cool breeze from behind me. She seemed to be collecting herself far better than I would've in her shoes. The thought of potentially losing Daniel the way I'd lost my husband, or how she had lost track of Nick, terrified me. I'd had enough sorrow in my life lately.

 _"_ _Fuck you very much, universe."_ I thought, bitterness rising unbidden from deep within me.

"So where to next?" came a sniffle and a hoarse voice from my left side.  
"I think our 'fearless leader' wants to head back to the Slog before we make any further plans." replied Elliot.

"He's right, but I think I can live without the new title." I said dryly.

"C'mon. Let's grab a little sleep while we can." Mel said firmly.

Once we'd arrived back at the tarberry farm each of us headed our own ways back to our sleeping spots for the night. As I entered the home where my Daniel and I were staying, I was shocked by a bright light flickering my way. The rapid change from dark to light left me temporarily a little blinded.

"What the hell?" I asked as I covered my eyes.

I felt Daniel's hands ease mine down and comfortably held them in his. I blinked up at the black eyes I'd come to love.

"I fixed your flashlight." he said, the pride unmistakable in his voice.

I laughed and pulled him in for a hug. He came into my arms with familiar effortlessness. Daniel told me all about how he and one of the other residents of the Slog worked out a small nuclear powered battery for my flashlight.  
"Arlen Glass definitely has a talent for all things mechanical." he explained.

"Thank you so much! I'll have to stop by in the morning and thank Arlen too." I said happily.

"For now, love, come to bed. It's late and you're gonna need your rest." Daniel said, his hands on my shoulders directing me towards our bed rolls that were side by side.

Morning came all too fast and once we had packed up all of our belongings, Daniel and I met up with the little crowd of people who were in this just as deep as we were. I think we were both surprised to find that no one wanted to stay behind, Rebecca in particular. Dogmeat sat patiently at Sandra's feet while she patted his head with a nervous expression on her face. Piper and Elliot were speaking softly to each other about only Goddess knew what, and he had his arm around Becks' shoulders. Mel and Ollie were wrapped tight around each other. That had me concerned. In all the time I'd known the Strykers, I'd very rarely seen them show affection in public. This wasn't a good sign.

"Um, hey, guys. Why the long faces?" Daniel asked.

I was glad he did ask so I wouldn't have to. Dogmeat let out a low whine while Sandra shifted nervously on her feet. Piper and Elliot shared a worried yet somehow still antagonistic look. I assumed that they knew something and hoped I wouldn't find out what it was. This was getting worse by the second and we hadn't even left yet.  
 _"Well, shit. Again."_ I thought to myself.

"C.I.T. has a slight problem." Piper said.

"Slight, huh? Seems like it's more than just that by the way all of you guys are behaving." I said, my arms firmly crossed.

"Super mutants. More than a few of them. The old ball and chain and I have tried to wipe out the hive before but they always seem to come back within days. Usually stronger and more pissed the hell off. That's always fun, right?" Ollie replied.

Mel promptly elbowed her husband in the gut.

"Ball and chain, jackass?" she said.

"Sorry, light of my life." Ollie said contritely, holding his stomach and moaning once he had spoken.

"Ok. Mutants. Nothing we haven't handled before. What else aren't you telling me?" I asked the group of friends before me.

Elliot sighed deeply and said "There's a signal of some sort coming from the university. Elder Maxson holds a firm belief that the synth problem the Commonwealth has been dealing with for years originates from the location this signal is sent from."

"Synth problem? What do you mean?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"No one ever told you? Nick isn't the only synth around; he's just the most obvious one." Piper replied.

I looked up at Daniel, hoping my lover would have a better explanation than Piper just gave. He held me a little tighter before telling me about the synths plaguing the folks of Boston.

"They look completely human? Entirely undetectable to nearly everyone?" I said, shocked by the answer I least expected.

"Bingo! We have a winner, folks!" Elliot cried cynically.

"Really, El? Was that necessary?" Becks asked.

"Yes, kinda. It's time for all of us to stop being so naïve and step up the game." he replied.

I sighed in exasperation and said "Okay. So we know this C.I.T. place is dangerous. That's not exactly something we didn't suspect. What do we need to handle it successfully?"

"Explosives!" shouted Melissa gleefully.

Her words were greeted with more than a few pairs of rolled eyes.

"More than anything, we need to be able to rely on each other. If anyone can't trust the others, speak now. I won't risk Nicky's safety because someone here decides to be an asshole towards someone else." Becks ordered.

"I'm still questioning the reasons that the rest of you are so on edge about taking on the big uglies. Look around. There's more than enough…" said Piper before being interrupted.

"We've been through this. While you and your buddies may be completely fine with waltzing into multiple death traps and sharing a Nuka-Cola afterwards, we're not as cocksure as the _people_ you run with." Elliot growled.

" _'_ _People'_? What the hell do you mean by that, _Brotherhood_?" Piper snarled back.

We all knew that Nate and Piper had friends in Nick, Hancock, Codsworth, and others who weren't of the strictly human variety. Not that we were all that much different. Ollie had told Daniel that Elliot had been working diligently on changing his deeply held beliefs that ghouls were nothing more than vermin. I can only imagine that seeing the love Daniel and I shared left him with both questions and nausea. Perhaps that also explained his unique treatment of Becks.

"He has a point, Piper. Caution has its merits after all." Sandra said quietly.

It was the first that I'd heard her speak to the rest of us in a few days. Dogmeat had been by her side almost constantly, and had been the recipient of Sandra's frequent whispers. Daniel had mentioned her uncharacteristic silence while we had lain in bed two nights ago. Both of us were concerned for our typically boisterous friend.

The reporter scowled at the scribe, and not a soul uttered a word. I truly believe those of us who were mere bystanders were worried over whether or not we'd have to intervene and separate the two. Silence dragged on for what seemed to be an eternity.

"C'mon people. We're better than this. Teamwork is what will get us to our goals. All of them. Nick likely needs us. We need information about all these Brenna doppelgängers that are running around. Before you interject Piper, Nate needs us too. Infighting won't help matters; it will only harm them." Ollie said, more somber than I'd ever have expected him capable of.

The lack of shenanigans from Ollie created the impact he had wanted. Wide eyes and slack jawed faces stared back at him. Silently, Daniel turned towards the crumbled road leading to the heart of the Commonwealth. He gave a little tug on my hand and I followed without question. If I couldn't trust my man, who could I trust?

I could hear assorted complaints and the rustle of various weapons and packs behind us as the rest of our people reluctantly followed behind. After a few minutes of silent travel, I felt animal fur brush against my hand. Looking down, I saw that Dogmeat had left Sandra's side momentarily. I didn't know what he wanted but humored the animal with a little pat on the head. That seemed to please him, and Dogmeat trotted over to his new mistress. I doubted that Nate would get his pup back anytime soon.

Because of our later than anticipated departure from the Slog, the nine of us agreed to set up camp for the night at the first remaining building that still had some structural stability. The mood of our group wasn't exactly what I would call happy. My love pulled our little radio out of his rucksack, and tuned into Diamond City Radio. Daniel and I figured that some music might sooth the frayed nerves of our friends and companions.

 _"_ _They call me Lovin' Dan_

 _I rock 'em, roll 'em all night long_

 _I'm a sixty-minute man_

 _There'll be fifteen minutes of kissing_

 _Then you'll holler "please don't stop"_

 _There'll be fifteen minutes of teasing_

 _And fifteen minutes of squeezing_

 _And fifteen minutes of blowing my top_

 _If your man ain't treating you right_

 _Come up and see ol' Dan_

 _I rock 'em, roll 'em all night long_

 _I'm a sixty-minute man, oh yeah"_

The melodious tune drifted over each one of us. It was the only sound coming from our camp. I stretched out in Daniel's arms while we laid back and stargazed. For all the strange differences in my new world, the sparkling night sky remained the same. I took great comfort in seeing beloved goddess Diana above me.

"So Brenna, I've been meaning to ask you a question." called Melissa from across the fire.

"And what would that be? I have a feeling I'm not going to like it." I replied, sitting up from my spot on the ground.

Ollie began to snicker as Mel asked if Daniel was my sixty minute man. Laughter broke out through our campsite. I guess being the butt of the joke was worth the result.

"Wouldn't you like to know. Maybe you oughta borrow him for the night." I retorted.

"Love, you know I'm too much man for her." Daniel said, smirking and barely holding back his own laughter.

At Daniel's wisecrack, Ollie fell to the ground behind the burned log he'd been sitting on, fits of laughter keeping him pinned where he was.

"Alright, alright. That's enough for tonight. We'll split up watch shifts and get some rest in between, everyone. Tomorrow might prove to be more difficult than we think." Elliot all but ordered.

The following afternoon, we approached C.I.T. With the exception of distant shouts and gunfire from raiders, all was still. Staring at the buildings before me, I was dumbfounded and stuck in place. Daniel's warm hand on my waist gently turned me to face him.

"What's wrong, love? You look like you've seen a ghost just now." he said worriedly.

"Sweetheart, this is M.I.T! My baby sister is a sophomore here." I said as tears began to run down my cheeks.

Charlotte was our parent's "oops" baby, born when I was nearly fifteen years old. I adored her right from the start, and she idolized me. My children loved their auntie and she had a special bond with them.

Charlie was my biggest cheerleader when I decided to go to college myself. While I was not a math prodigy like she was, neither her nor our parents ever treated us differently. The day she was accepted into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, our family, together with our coven, threw her a huge surprise party to celebrate her bright future.

Now we stood before the remains of one of the best schools in the world. My heart was crushed all over again as I was forcibly reminded of the family I'd left behind. Daniel tenderly cradled me in his arms, my tears soaking into his shirt.

"A sister? All of the Brennas we've known of had no siblings." Elliot said, his tone unmistakably turned more 'scribe' than friend.

Daniel glared at him from over the top of my head. I felt his muscles tense beneath my fingertips. The last thing I needed on top of all this was a fight to break out.

Becks smacked Elliot hard on his ass. The large man squeaked and leapt away from the sudden sting to his ego and his bottom.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Can't you see that she's upset? Now is not the time to be questioning Brenna." she told him.

"Come on, guys. Let's go see about those admission forms we've filled out." Ollie teased.

As we approached the rotunda of the university, all our weapons drawn, the ominous silence within seemed amplified. I was shaken to the core to be here, and knowing that Charlotte wasn't in her dorm, working on her homework and texting me about dealing with her girlfriend's insistence on meeting her parents made it all the worse.

I rechecked my armor, making sure that everything was buckled down properly. A furtive glance around the group, especially at my Daniel, confirmed that everyone was likewise prepared for what would be the final leg of our journey to find Nick. Piper and Dogmeat took point, both gun and teeth prepared to fight. Although we outnumbered them, it somehow felt right that the two of them were ready to charge in ahead of us.

With just a nod from Piper, we all knew to be quiet as we crossed the threshold of the campus. The doors leading into the rotunda proper were cracked open ever so slightly. Becks leaned past Piper, and using her sniper rifle, she nudged the door to the right open the rest of the way. I could hear the low growls and threats of super mutants from within, but no gun shots or other sounds of battle. Each in turn, we slid through the opening and raised our weapons to provide cover for the others as they too entered the building.

"Becks and Sandra, see if you can find a vantage point to pick some of these bastards off. Dogmeat, protect them. Ok, boy? Elliot, keep your distance, and make the most of that laser rifle. Dan and Brenna, stay with me. Pistols are more effective in groups. Strykers, go do what you do best." Piper ordered.

Mel and Ollie favored us all with delightfully evils grins before dashing off with a shocking level of silence. They'd just been let off the leash so to speak, and were clearly thrilled with it. Becks and Sandra simply nodded their consent, and split off from the rest of us to their left. Dogmeat followed Piper's request and trotted off after the ladies. Daniel and I started to leave with the journalist when McAllister caught my wrist.

"Be careful. I have some feelings about this place, and none of its good. Dan, take care of her." Elliot said solemnly.

"She's my everything. You don't have to command me to protect the best thing in my life." Daniel told him.

I couldn't help but smile and blush. Every time Daniel spoke aloud his love for me to others sent my heart aflutter all over again.

The scribe slinked off to the right, and for a man as tall as he, I was impressed at his ability to blend in with the shadows. Daniel and I met up with Piper. We followed her towards the nearest set of stairs, and that's when we heard the first shots of the battle for both C.I.T. and Nick Valentine.

The roar of a critically wounded mutant pierced the muffled quiet of the rotunda. I briefly caught sight of Sandra up in the open corridor that surrounded the entirety of the second floor, overlooking the entryway and statuary within. She saw me, and waved her sniper rifle in acknowledgement before resuming picking off whatever greenie she could.

As Daniel, Piper, and I skidded onto the second floor, I faltered in my path beside them. Before us and likewise attacking the super mutants stood four creatures firing off laser weapons of some sort. They looked for all the world like what I imagined Nick must have going on beneath his warm and pliant artificial skin.

"Just keep going! Shoot anything in the way that isn't Nick!" came a shout from above. Becks wasn't playing around when it came to rescuing her lover.

 _"_ _Fuck it. Don't think of them as having anything to do with Valentine."_ I told myself as I took aim and fired at the two closest to me.

The robotic men fell to the floor with a clang. Piper took out the one closing in on her. Daniel ran up to the remaining one and pistol whipped it before shooting pointblank into its face.

We all froze as we heard an otherworldly shriek followed by a low cackle from above us. With amazing precision, a hail of grenades fell upon the mutants and synths alike who remained on the first floor when they had poured out at the first sounds of gunfire. Unbelievably, I spotted teddy bears, teacups, tin plates, and random junk amongst the explosive projectiles. That must have something to do with Ollie's maniacal laughter floating down from differing points on the third floor. With barely a moment's notice, the grenades and junk were followed by missiles and school desks.

"What the fuck are those two doing?" Daniel asked, shouting to be heard over the cacophony around us.

"Stryker stuff." I said simply as we dashed off behind Piper.

"Run for the third floor! We need the tactical advantage!" yelled McAllister as he methodically picked off synths while they were otherwise engaged in war with the largest mutant of the bunch.

An uncanny hush fell over C.I.T. as the remaining foes were destroyed by our combined might. The three of us mounted the final flight of stairs, and rushed headlong into Sandra with Dogmeat, as well as Mel and Ollie. Even Melissa's Hispanic heritage had paled in shock at what lay before them.

"You don't want to see this. Please." Sandra pleaded as she pulled both Daniel and I back away from whatever the others had beheld.

Elliot soon joined the rest of us, and due to his height, saw what Daniel and I could not.

"She's not…" he said before looking repeatedly between me and the hidden floor behind us.

Before I could press the issue, a grief stricken scream pierced the stillness.

Shoving her way past anyone in her way, Becks barged past the amassed group. The ghoul crashed to her knees, begging incomprehensibly for it to 'not be true'.

I wormed my way between my silent companions and halted in stunned disbelief. Although older, she was still irrefutably recognizable. My corpse lay in a crumpled heap on the tiled floor, a pool of blood around her head.

Just beyond her, a kneeling Becks cradled the lifelessly still body of Nick Valentine.

* * *

A/N:

I want to apologize for the so unlike me wait between the last chapter and this one. Life took a turn for the unpredictable, and my husband had heart surgery in May. My worry for him turned into a nasty case of writer's block. I knew where I wanted this tale to go but didn't have the words to get me there.

Thanks for your patience, and I hope this longer-than-the-others chapter was enjoyable. Please read, review, and keep coming back for more!


	25. Train Ride

"Move! Becks, let him go!" McAllister shouted as he ran to her side.

I watched and remained speechless. As the scribe neared our fallen synthetic friend, Nick's lover proceeded to punch Elliot square in the mouth with all her might. She screamed at him to get away from Nick, and not to lay hands on him. Elliot rebounded easily from the hit and forcefully took Valentine from Becks' arms.

 _"_ _This won't end well. It just won't."_ I thought.

Mel and Ollie rushed in to embrace Rebecca in her grief and rage. The couple restrained her, but perhaps more importantly, gave comfort as much as they showered battle born insanity more often than not. Becks eventually gave in to her obvious exhaustion and laid her head on Mel's shoulder while Ollie gently rubbed her back.

Piper dashed over to Elliot's side to see what assistance she might render before the former Brotherhood scribe raised a hand in warning. He had laid Nick out on a nearby time-worn sofa, and rummaged in his own leather pack for a small scanning device. As he pressed a button, a harsh static noise followed by a siren sound issued from the object. Elliot soundly smacked it, and attempted again to get it to operate for whatever its intended use was.

I skirted around the congealing blood from her- my- broken corpse. Nick's signature fedora lay on the tile floor beyond where we had discovered him. I bent and carefully scooped it up. I don't know why but I felt the compulsion to give it a sniff. For me, it held everything I associated with my estranged friend. Aged tobacco, libraries with their old books, and not quite rusted metal wafted up into my nostrils. That's when reality hit. I'd never again hear his voice or feel the comfort of his presence. My grief was nothing compared to Rebecca's and yet it permeated my spirit in a way I hadn't expected.

"Damn. I'm getting nearly zilch for residual readings. Repairing Valentine's primary functionality is beyond my ability. At least not here. I hate to say it, but we need to get him to the Prydwyn." Elliot remarked gloomily.

Piper frowned, and was obviously trapped in panicked thought. A warning growl issued from behind us. Dogmeat had caught up, and clearly disagreed with the proposal.

"Deacon! Why didn't I think of him first? The Railroad can help Nick! We just need to get him there." she shouted triumphantly.

"And I presume you know just how to find them then?" Ollie said with irritation evident in his tone.

"About as well as you can spot a Junk Jet in this wreck of a place." Piper retorted.

Oliver said nothing but continued to glare at her. I didn't understand what exactly was going on between the two but if it made him of all people doubtful, I had to have concerns myself. Then again, if this 'Railroad' could help Nick even the slightest bit, shouldn't we do everything in our power to seek that assistance out?

"How long do we have? I mean, before he's…irretrievable." I asked, feeling morbid beyond words to be standing over the scene of loss and asking such a question.

McAllister stared back at me from where he was hunched over Nick's form. In that moment, he looked like a physician about to deliver the news to waiting family that it was time to unplug the machines and let their loved one pass.

"I'm not certain. Valentine is, as far as the Brotherhood ever knew, unique in comparison to the other synths we've been able to study. Which was admittedly few." he said.

He sounded almost as if were ashamed of the Brotherhood of Steel's lack of knowledge. Or maybe that he was simply abashed at having been part of such a force. I couldn't know with any certainty.

"Then time is of the essence, right? Let's get moving instead of sitting around here, yapping at each other." Piper said.

"And not one of you is willing to see the additional corpse in the room? Especially you, Sandra. You encouraged Brenna to start this investigation. Are we adding another clone to our list or what?" Daniel asked.

I knew his voice was more accusatory than typical for him, but that was from his greater concern for me than anything else. In a way though, he was right. Sandra, Daniel, Melissa, Ollie, and I had set out on this insane journey together. We had been determined to find at least an answer for me, if not a way home. So much had changed along the way that it was breathtaking at times. It dawned on me that not only had we all lost sight of the goal, but that it had changed entirely along the way.

"…Unless you're willing, Adams? Gonna turn out a corpse's pockets? Pick her purse? Just what was the plan here?" Ollie all but shouted at Daniel.

I felt like I'd missed more than a few moments of conversation while sucked into my reverie.

"Hey. Hey! Knock it off. I'll do it myself. Can't resist the opportunity for rifling through my own belongings, now can I?" I yelled back, stomping off to investigate the dead woman and any potential identifying items.

"Love, wait…" Daniel all but whispered into the enrobing silence that had settled upon us.

I ignored him, and instead bent to touch this face that looked so hauntingly like mine. Maybe it was more accurate to say that she bore an eerie resemblance to my mother or my aunt due to the obvious difference in our ages. Even in death, her visage spoke of our shared lineage. I looked into her lifelessly staring eyes, and in them I saw my own.

My fingertips brushed over the small birthmark on her chin; the very same one I had hated throughout my teen years. Her ears weren't gauged or even pierced at all like mine were. Morbid curiosity propelled me on to lift the leg of her pantsuit. I recoiled, landing hard on my ass. The only tattoo I have colored her left calf as well. The lines of my Aries inspired pinup girl were the same. The unique touches that were made by my artist were swooping and shading her own lady.

I tried to keep my eyes from looking directly at the gunshot wound to her head. It was the only thing noticeable from a quick glimpse that I avoided to the best of my ability. The spray pattern of sticky blood, fine bits of gray matter, and bone made me wonder if it hadn't been a self-inflicted shot. That hurt my heart in surprising ways. Many years ago, my husband's uncle ended his own life. Knowing what the surviving family goes through, I'd always sworn to never put them through that again. Maybe she hadn't experienced a loss like that. There was no way to know for sure.

Seeing her destroyed brain brought on questions of whether or not she suffered from epilepsy too. Carefully picking up her left hand, I easily noticed the signs of joint damage from rheumatoid arthritis. Did her medical history mirror my own in the way her appearance did?

None of the people with me made a move to interrupt. Piper looked on in keen interest; Daniel with both pain and love. Elliot had his back to me while continuing his work on Nick. Becks stood with the Strykers, the trio looking in any direction possible except for my way. Sandra sat on the floor, her arms around Dogmeat and a horrified expression on her face. As much as it hurt to see these people I'd come to love and to trust keep their distance, I knew instinctively that this was one road I must travel alone.

I turned my attention back to the dead woman before me. As I reached out to gently lower the arm that had been thrown above what remained of the top of her head, I saw the governmental identification tag clipped neatly to her bloodstained lavender blouse. If I left her arm where it was, I could more easily access the pockets I saw that were sewn into the inner lining of her blazer.

"Shit. I feel like I've fallen down the rabbit hole." I muttered to myself.

Once I had removed her I.D. tag, I turned it over in my hands. The picture upon it showed a smiling woman in her mid-fifties. Her auburn hair was streaked with silver strands, the same ones I had debated long and hard about coloring once I had started going gray in my mid-twenties. There was certainly no room for argument once I saw the name written below the photograph.

"Brenna J. Morley, Investigation Unit Commander, Office of Homeland Security. What the hell is that division, Zombie?" came Piper's voice from above me.

"I haven't the foggiest. We don't have that one in my world." I replied.

I looked over my shoulder to see Piper standing behind me with her hand held out to accept the tag. In a fog of déjà vu, I passed it up to her. If anything, I knew she wouldn't just let this piece of evidence fall from our grasp. Piper was a woman who clung to new information the way a small child will hug her mother's legs when afraid.

My hands were trembling by the time I reached into this Brenna's suit jacket. Trying to avoid actually coming into contact with her body more than absolutely necessary, I slipped my fingers into the first pocket I came across. A little worn brown leather wallet came out in my grasp. It was the sort of thing I might have carried around if I didn't have a penchant for large tote bags that I'd sewn patches or sayings onto. I carefully opened it, and within lay a small stack of photographs.

On the top was a picture of this same woman in the not-so-distant-for-her past. She wore a swimsuit that was old fashioned in its appearance, with a knee length skirt and modest torso. Her long waves had been captured in a messy bun. A likewise old-school swim trunk clad man who appeared to be in his early sixties held her in a dip as though they had been dancing, and behind them was a beautiful sunset casting orange rays across the beach sand on which they stood. It looked like the photographer had caught her mid-laugh. A smile mirrored my face at seeing her joy in that moment. It was, in a strange way, a comfort to see that this poor soul had had some bliss in her life.

I shuffled through to the next one, and the smile dropped off my face. A younger version of her stood next to the same man. She in an ivory lace dress; he in slacks and a cobalt blue button down shirt. Both were adorned with floral crowns upon their heads. Before them were my own high priestess and high priest, arms held skyward in supplication to the gods and goddesses who bore witness to this ancient ritual. I could easily spot the bonfire burning off to the left, and the backs of the people gathered all around. Twined through this Brenna and her mystery man's clasped hands was the telltale cord of a handfasting. Whoever he was, this man was now her groom.

I turned the photo around so that the others with me could see it as I explained that it was a marriage picture.

"That man is also not my Jay. I have no idea what his name is. Guess this proves that she is truly not me. Thank Goddess." I said, my voice cracking under the strain of this new information.

Daniel had made his way to where I was sitting next to the ruined body of yet another version of myself. I felt the strength of his arms slide under my own as he lifted me from the floor.

"Come this way, love. We can look at what you've found once we sit ourselves down on the chairs next to Nick." he said as he guided me away.

It felt as though there was some magnetic pull between the dead woman and myself. I needed to be by her side. I needed to see myself in her. I needed the truth.

The group gathered around Daniel and I once we were seated. Dogmeat came and laid his head on my knee. For the first time in my life, I didn't care if a dog was near me. The old saying of there being strength in numbers is true. I felt…safer with all of them there.

I passed the two photos I'd found of the happy couple around to the others. As I flipped through the remaining three pictures, I saw a bigger piece of the puzzle of who this woman was. One photo showed a serious face with the subtle hint of a smile as she stood with a group of about two dozen others dressed in strange variations of office wear and militarized police gear. They were outside of a huge and almost art deco building that bore a sign indicating that it was the Office of Homeland Security.

"I still have no idea what that is. Any of you guys ever hear of it?" I asked, forgetting that aside from my Daniel, and Becks, none of the others were even alive around the time that such an office may have existed.

"Our past makes no mention of anything remotely like it." McAllister said.

"The Brotherhood would certainly know that, nosey tech bastards that they are." Ollie added.

The next picture was clearly a professional shot instead of the casual photography of the previous ones. This Brenna was much younger, not more than about 20 or so years old. She wore a police officer's uniform, and her face was all iron determination and pride. A man in an expensive-looking suit was shaking her hand, and judging by the well-muscled men in black suits with barely concealed handguns by their sides, he must have been quite important.

"Check the back. Maybe she wrote something to explain what this was all about." Elliot whispered. There was no mistaking the fascination in his voice.

The reverse of the photo did indeed have my own scribble on it. I traced the familiar swirls of my penmanship while I read her words aloud:

 _"_ _Me with President Samuel L. Jackson! I still can't believe it. He presented me and my squad with the Presidential Medal of Civilian Protection Excellence for our actions on September 11, 2001."_

I looked around to see nothing but equally confused faces. Not a one of us had ever heard of this President Jackson fellow, or knew what happened on that particular date. The only thing we knew beyond doubt is that she was in law enforcement, proud of it, and by what we had seen, she was damn good at her job.

"None of this makes sense. I hate this kind of thing. That's why I'm a marketer." I said.

"Love, this isn't you. Not exactly anyway." Daniel reminded me.

"Still…" I replied, not having any other words to add.

I handed the picture off to Sandra so that it could be passed along like the others. I looked down at the final photo sitting in my lap, and sucked in a sharp breath of air.

This Brenna had aged up to about my own mid-thirties range. She stood in a beautiful forest green sundress next to a grinning young woman in graduate regalia decorated with all the trappings that marked her as valedictorian. I would recognize that smile, those blue eyes, and that ridiculous nail polish anywhere.

"It's Charlie! My baby sister!" I shouted, tears of an odd sort of pride falling down my cheeks.

She may not have been my Charlotte exactly, but damn it, she was close enough. She did what she had always said she would. Top of her class at M.I.T. I only wished that our parents could see this photo from what should have been our near future.

Daniel took the photograph and flipped it over onto my upturned palm. Instead of my own messy scrawl, Charlie's neat handwriting covered the back:

 _"_ _Fate made us cousins, but love made us friends. Thank you for all your laughter and support over the years. I love you, Bean."_

"Cousins?" I asked in a voice so small that even in my own ears I sounded like a child again.

"Bean? Who's that supposed to be?" asked Mel.

"That was her nickname for me. I've had a passion for coffee for most of my life. It's short for Coffee Bean." I explained emotionlessly.

The picture fluttered to the floor as my hands lost their grip on it. Shock filled every part of me. How could this woman and I be so alike and yet so very different?

"Funny how all of this plays out. The Brotherhood of Steel found one Brenna who was a gifted scientist from her youth and onward. Then with both you, and this one here, we find that neither of you were the intellectual force to reckon with in the family. Oh, I mean no insult! Just that we have examples of opposing presentations of you. If we look at both of you, Charlotte was the prodigy. Although only in your case was she a sibling. Then the scientist Brenna was the genius. Lacking a sibling, perhaps she had a cousin whose life path departed in the opposite way as well. So many if/then scenarios now." McAllister mused aloud, his gaze locked onto the cadaver at our feet.

I wished he wouldn't do that. I was feeling haunted through and through.

"C'mon, boy. Let's go." I said, standing as Dogmeat joined my side.

Clutching the little wallet with its treasure of photos, I resolutely walked out of C.I.T. without bothering to look back.

Three hours after departing the university, we made our way towards the Boston Common. Ingenuity won out, and we had devised a cart of sorts to transport Nick to wherever this Railroad group had their hide out. While tugging our load along wasn't easy by any stretch of the imagination, carrying him in any capacity such as on a litter, would be far worse. Our ability to halt quickly and as safely as possible if under attack would be significantly hampered. Plus the man weighed a ton. I guess that shouldn't have surprised me, what with him being entirely comprised of metal, circuits, and whatever material his skin was made of.

The fading strokes of sunlight caressed the smallish pond off to our left. What remained of a once picturesque group of little swan shaped boats bobbed on the water, their paint long since flaked away in many spots. Several destroyed swans littered the far bank near the miniature dock, presumably where little kids would pester their parents into forking over the money to take a boat ride in the summer sun many decades ago.

"We've got to follow the Freedom Trail to get there. Tours started from this pond back before the bombs. Anyone up for a history lesson?" Piper quipped.

My attention had been captured by the statue of a woman in Puritan dress standing just beyond the gazebo to our right. I wandered over to her, and briefly checked for her name on the inscription on a small plaque at the base that held her. It confirmed for me that I knew beyond doubt who she was. Almost as if led by their own, my fingers touched her face. My heart broke for her, and yet I was proud to see that some things remained the same here.

The group had quietly made their way over to me and the woman cast in bronze before us. None spoke a word, waiting for my commentary.

"This is Margaret Jones. She was put to death for witchcraft on June 25, 1648. Her gallows tree is behind her there. Mrs. Jones was the founder of our faith here in America. We don't observe many national holidays but June 25 is set aside for her. She's here too. I'm astounded but so happy to see that." I said with the reverence due our nation's first priestess.

"She was hung for sedition and treason here. This woman very nearly destroyed the spark of freedom that led to the revolution." replied Becks with a venom I never expected of her.

I whipped my head towards her, indignation in my voice.

"That can't possibly be true! She was an American heroine!" I exclaimed.

"Both of you quit it. We have much bigger fish to fry rather than some old crap about religion or political nonsense. None of that affects us now. We have a job to do." Mel said, chastising us.

Just as we resumed our path across the Common towards the beginning of a wide painted red line that mapped out the Freedom Trail, Dogmeat sprinted away with a growl and a series of sharp barks. He suddenly stopped by a large green carcass. This supermutant was of a size I'd never seen before. The rotting form before us had been armored with broken swan boat pieces, and the typical amalgamation of random shit that supermutants found appealing.

I heard Piper chuckle as Dogmeat lifted his leg and pissed on the dead mutie. Apparently I was the only one who felt any amount of shock at this act. Normally, I'd chalk it up to the fact that canines marked their territory and that'd be it. But Dogmeat wasn't quite a normal dog so I had a feeling that normal dog logic didn't apply to him.

"Hey, furbaby! Doesn't that nasty thing stink enough without you adding to it?" called Sandra to the dog.

"Furbaby? That a bit much, Sandra?" asked Daniel.

"I don't knock your pet names for Brenna, do I?" she replied.

"There's a difference between an animal and a lover. You ought to know that." he said.

Sandra made an irritated sound and rolled her eyes at him. Dogmeat came running back to her, panting and looking self-satisfied. I asked Piper if she knew why he had done that. She explained that the dog, Nick, and Nate had slain the creature on their first trek to find the Railroad. It was unsurprising to find that this mutant had called itself "Swan".

We continued following the red line as the sun began its daily retreat towards the other side of the planet. Whenever needed, we worked as a team to finagle Nick's cart over piles of debris. It became more inconvenient when we were attacked by supermutants outside of Faneuil Hall.

"Shit. Why does it always have to be greenskins?" asked Daniel as we took cover behind the cart.

"Because we're in the heart of Boston, sweetheart. Everyone who's anyone comes here for the history, culture, and night life!" I shouted with a laugh.

"We've been hanging around the Strykers too much." he replied, popping up to take a shot at the mutant wielding the mini gun on the scaffolding with his incendiary pistol.

I took my own shot once he had taken cover again. We had found our rhythm in combat together, and I do believe our bond had a lot to do with the fluidity of it all. The .44 that Elliot had given me was my new favorite weapon, and poor Helga had been relegated to secondary status. Just as my bullet hit the greenie in the gut, a series of teddy bears came zooming overhead. They struck the mutant with surprising force, blowing its head off in chunks.

"You know that thing is ridiculous, right?" asked Piper as she passed Ollie and his new Junk Jet.

"Why do you think I pilfered it in the first place? 'Outlandish' is my middle name. Yup, Oliver 'Outlandish' Stryker. Sounds great, doesn't it?" he said with a grin.

"That's my man." Mel added in fondly as she caught up to her husband.

"Time to get this horse and buggy show on the road, people." Becks directed, taking up her spot at the side of Nick's cart.

Thinking back to my days in the Girl Scouts and my troop's big trip to Boston in my teen years, this Old North Church that Piper said we were heading to never existed in my world. If I was correct about the location on the Freedom Trail, the building in question was home to the First Circle of Lady Brigid. All of this differentiation between my world and this one was giving me a migraine. It felt like I was seeing the world around me with double vision. As if what I knew was transposed over what I actually saw.

Working as a team, we hefted the cart over the last hill of destroyed architecture and onto the street before the front door of the church. While there were some obvious differences, such as the lack of Lady Brigid's statue, the building itself remained the same. The steeple towered overhead, and the old words of the revolution came to mind.

"'One if by land, two if by sea.' I guess we never forget the history of our country. William Dawes' midnight ride became the stuff of legend." I remarked as we all looked up at the church.

"Dawes? No, that's not right. He was the second rider, taking a different route. It was Paul Revere who delivered the message to Samuel Adams and John Hancock. Well, the original Hancock anyway." Daniel said, looking at me like I'd grown a second head.

"I'm just as confused as you are, sweetheart. I'm struggling to put all of this together." I said while reaching out my hand to grasp his.

Daniel folded me into his arms, and we shared a brief hug before I asked Piper what we were looking for once we entered the church.

"There's a crypt underneath the building. Those tunnels lead to the Railroad's HQ. Fun, right?" she replied.

"Time to put your feral stompin' boots on." Elliot said.

"We're almost there, Nicky. Please don't leave me." Becks said softly as we all boosted the cart up and over the threshold of the church.

It was immediately obvious to us that the cart was now useless. The narrow doorways and overturned pews meant it was time to carry Nick to our destination. Ollie and Elliot hoisted him out, and struggled through the first entryway with their load. All the noise we had made drew out the first round of feral ghouls.

No matter how many of these things I killed, it still bothered me. At first it was knowing that they were human at some point in time. Now it was because I feared Daniel could end up like that. I had no idea if that was even a possibility, but lack of knowledge didn't erase my worries.

Mel, Becks, and Sandra took out the ferals with practiced ease. I was glad that worked out well, considering that the rest of us had ended up bottleneck jammed in the entryway. Traveling with a crowd usually meant greater safety. The exception to that rule was if we were all stuck indoors.

Elliot and Ollie were having a loud…discussion…over just how to best carry Nick down to the Railroad. Ollie still felt that a two man carry would be best if they weren't going to fashion a litter for Nick to ride in. Elliot quite literally took matters into his own hands, and lifted Valentine up into a fireman's carry.

"That's fine. We both know I'm the better man when it comes to combat. At least you're finally willing to admit it." Ollie said with a smirk.

"Stryker, if I didn't have my arms full, I'd knock your ass out." McAllister replied.

"But I like my ass right where it is. I bet the ladies do too." Ollie said, wiggling his butt to emphasize his point.

"Just Mel, my dear." I said, giggling at the stupidity that broke the pall of worry that covered us all.

We marched down to the catacombs underneath the church, and I felt awkward at not honoring the dead with a candle and some incense. That was until some of the almost dead ferals came after us again. Piper, Daniel and I took the shots this time. Our pistols were more accurate in the enclosed space we were traveling through than the weapons our companions carried.

It wasn't long before we came upon one of the Freedom Trail seals attached to the wall. Piper directed me to spell out 'Railroad' by spinning the dial. It felt very much like the combination padlocks I'd used on my lockers at school as well as work. The hidden door opened before us, and Piper held out an arm to indicate that we were to wait for her to enter first.

"These people are understandably gun shy with strangers. Bringing Nick here is kind of a gamble. McAllister, follow behind me. The rest of you, wait for one of us to call you in. Everyone got it?" Piper directed.

After seeing each of us either nod to confirm our instructions or in the case of Ollie, salute, Piper and Elliot stepped out into the dirt foyer of the Railroad HQ. From within, I heard a man's voice greet Piper. That is until he saw the load Elliot carried.

"Hey, it's Piper! Where's Nate? I know you two are joined at the hip. We still haven't… Nick? Dez! Get the doc! Valentine needs help!" Deacon shouted.

The rest of us rushed forward, and helped McAllister bring Nick into the cavernous room to the people we hoped had the ability to save him. Hopefully this gamble would pay off. Everything was at stake.

* * *

A/N:

So a few things to mention. My husband thought the inclusion of Samuel L. Jackson as the president was over the top. Maybe he's right, but we do have a precedence set in the US from President Ronald Regan. I took some liberties (as usual) with some historical records. Margaret Jones was indeed one of the first women to be put to death for witchcraft in Boston on the date in the story, however it didn't happen in the Boston Common. The inclusion of William Dawes as the main historical figure in the famous "midnight ride" instead of Paul Revere was done to emphasize the differences between worlds. Dawes was the real second rider as Daniel points out, and so plays a role in our true national history. I encourage you all to look into the stories of these people who had such an impact on both Brenna's world and our own. :)


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